Don't Let Me Drown
by nek0-sama
Summary: An event took place over the summer that caused a rift between Ryan and his family and plunged the young man into an endless sea of despair. Troy intervenes and vows to save Ryan, but will his love be enough to keep him from drowning? Angst. TxR
1. Chapter 1: Perception

Don't Let Me Drown

Chapter 1: Perception

8-19

Dear Diary: I am an Evans. I'm _supposed _to be perfection personified. Looking at all of my family, perfection is what you will see.

I'm _not _perfect… and maybe that's the reason why I'm the black sheep of the Evans family. A blight on the face of the earth. From the very beginning I've always found myself attracted to other boys; the sheen of sweat on their toned muscles causing a blush over my body and a swelling of my loins that suffocates them within my jeans. My sister with her immaculate golden curls and piercing brown eyes is without a doubt _beautiful. _She hears it all the time from everyone around her. They gush about her beauty, males and females alike.

And for every boy that she's ever brought home, I must resort to the use of my own right- hand in order to sate my own needs.

I'm ugly. I'm thin as a rod, hideous bruises on my fair skin, adorning my jawbone and abdominal area. I can feel the arch of my spinal column and the outline of my ribs as they protrude slightly from my flesh. The cover up I apply before my unapproving, vacant-eyed reflection just barely conceals the handiwork of my hateful conformist peers and the dark circles beneath my eyes that originate from insomnia that has plagued me for weeks.

The word "anorexia" is tossed around in the form of whispers, but I'm not deaf. I know they're attempting in their own way to analyze me, to understand me, to diagnose me. The key to thwarting your foe is knowing what makes them tick, right?

My mother has always attempted, more so than anyone else in my life, to show me love and devotion the way a mother should. I was always her "Ducky", her blue eyes, so like mine used to be sparkling with her unconditional love and pride at everything deed I accomplished. Shar is dad's princess. She can do no wrong.

Even my mother has seemed to tire of my existence the way I have come to tire of it myself. Living is such a chore, especially when the very fact that you exist in the first place is a mistake.

I watch my sister shining flawlessly and radiantly, longing to share even a fraction of her luster. But I know I must not indulge. It's not right of me to be so presumptuous. It's not my place. Sharpay and I used to be the best of friends. Inseparable practically joined at the hip. We shared our secrets, our dreams, our fears, with one another. We were each other's source of comfort in the face of adversity. But even that partnership, it seems, has come to its expiration date. Although I occupy the room down the hall from my sister, she ignores me, choosing instead to share her life story with her all-too-willing servants known as friends, and Zeke Baylor, whom seems to have taken on the role of man numero dos in her life, second after our father.

Is he a replacement for me, I can't help but ponder, or is he merely a distraction to keep her mind from straying to the brother she forgot she had?

As the days go by, I grow weary. Exhausted. I don't want to live anymore. I'm nothing but a burden, mud on the Evans family name. I stare at the ceiling, images flashing through my mind as my conscience reminisces on the ways that I have embarrassed my family time and again. The way my viewpoints, my behavior, my mannerisms become topics of heated discussion when the speakers are convinced I'm not listening.

"Faggot" is spat at me viciously on a regular basis when I leave my room for a stroll down the street. That vile word among a torrent of other vulgar oaths. Even the music streaming from my iPod nano is incapable of providing enough insulation to prevent the sounds from bombarding my eardrums. Many estranged relatives have suggested reform, giving out pamphlets for Christian organizations that claim they can "convert and cure" people like me that have my "disease".

I shrug them off drily. My sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of. Men like Alexander the Great, Oscar Wilde and Harvey Milk have all achieved great things and made grand contributions to society all while having men as their bedside partners. Sir Elton John and Adam Lambert are both musical and pop cultural icons and Queen can never climb back up to the proud place it once had in the music rock n' roll hall without its late but amazingly talented lead singer Freddie Mercury. Once, I dreamed that I would someday join their ranks. Now I've just given up… on me.

Re-reading the entry in his diary, Ryan Evans shut the leather bound book, locking its precious contents away with a key before sealing both book and key away within a drawer of his nightstand. Remaining on the side of his bed, the slim blond pinched the bridge of his nose, wearily rubbing the stretch of skin across the narrow piece of cartilage.

Down the hall, he could hear his sister chatting idly to someone, most likely over the telephone. Her inflection was high and cheery, the exact opposite of what her brother was feeling at the moment.

Outside of his window, Ryan could see that the sun was just beginning to set in the sky but lethargy was already casting its spell of sloth on his thin and exhausted frame. His stomach grumbled, its gastric juices churning miserably for even a scrap of food to digest, but the frail adolescent was too weak to attend to his emaciated and malnourished body. Too weak to even move. Laying back on his magnificent king size bed that seemed to swallow him up, he tried to ignore the nausea that bombarded the empty muscle. He closed his eyes, knowing no sleep; no peace would come to take him no matter how he wished.

There was a soft "mrrow" and a gentle weight joined him on the bed, warm tortiseshell fur brushing against his arm. His blue eyes flicked open, meeting large round orbs of amber, full of silent concern.

"Hey, Holl," he greeted the cat, stroking the tiny animal's silky fur.

As the creature made himself comfortable, a purr rumbling in his throat, his master could not help but acknowledge that this was the first affection he had seen directed at himself in so long.

Sharpay continued her animated conversation.

Ryan stared fixatedly at the light shining on the lavender wall opposite his bed, his stare dull and listless. In his mind, there was only one true method of escape. _Death. It is only in death that myself and everyone around me shall finally find salvation. _

**A/N: **As you can see, Ryan is very depressed. Something has caused a rift between him and his family. What? You may be asking. Will he kill himself? These answers and more will all be answered dear readers. Until then…

Yours, nek0_sama


	2. Chapter 2: Woe

Chapter 2: Woe

8-21

Dear Diary: We go back to school in two days. School. Hah. That's a nicer way of referring to what most teenagers regard as hell on earth.

My sister and I got our back to school shopping done a month in advance and it's a good thing that we did. In my current state I would probably have spent such a trip rushing to empty the near non-existent contents of my stomach in the nearest restroom.

I don't know if my terminology has made it obvious, but I _hate_ school. I hate it. The people that are constantly in my face, pretending they care about the plans I've made for the weekend or how my day is going. They must take me for a naive tool if they think I actually believe their lies. No one cares about me. I don't need their false pity and sympathy. They can never understand and I don't expect them to!

Of course, there is one person at school that I wouldn't mind attempting to understand me; _Troy Alexander Bolton. _Since freshman year he has become an object of fantasy and fascination for me, his beauty both internal and external on divine levels. He was the first person other than myself to find discomfort wearing the mask society crafted and to face an array of reactions both discriminatory and supportive for his decision to rebel against it.

His is the name of such succulence and delicacy I utter as my right hand acts out the deeds Troy himself will only partake in within the confines of my own deprived mind. He makes me weak at the knees and puts my heart a-flutter. His voice speaking my name sends shivers down my spine and his touch no matter the intent tingles on my flesh like fire. I know that I'm in love with him. That is an absolute. The only thing keeping me alive is my insatiable need to see Troy. To feel his toned muscle pressing against my rake thin form. My dreams, my delusions of East High's god and golden boy sustain me, but are dreams enough to live on? _Hope?_ Do I even hope for the impossible?

Troy is perfect, a god among vile desperate insects that scramble over one another for him to throw a passing glance their way. And although I crave him incessantly, I am a sin. I could only desecrate him. Dirty him. _Ruin _him. He's so perfect and beautiful, I would end up destroying him, his sun-kissed skin broken, his divine blood spilling onto the ground because of _me. _

Just thinking about such mindlessly beautiful destruction is enough to make me want to bury my head in my hands and sob. Sob until I've got nothing left.

Going back to school means abandoning my foolish dreams and facing the reality that the boy I love belongs to another. _Her. Gabriella Montez. _

Gabriella is a topic that I don't even want to discuss. Speaking her name causes me to think of what she shares with Troy. What I _never _will and it only increases my feeling of worthlessness. It's as though her existence is meant to cancel mine out. How could Troy ever notice me when he has _her_? Seeing the two of them together kills me, _kills _me at an agonizingly slow pace from the inside out. The way she hugs herself to his sturdy from causes my stomach bile to rise up into my throat and I have to force myself to choke it back down.

And as if this isn't enough punishment, school is the place where the people that hate me for who I am congregate in a mass, conspiring what will be my ultimate demise. They throw fists, aim kicks and knees at any area of my body they can access, their words vicious as I fall to the ground, broken and panting, wondering if maybe these sick, twisted and depraved people's cruel words have some shred of accuracy to them. That I'm worthless. That faggots like me don't deserve to live.

Yes. I _hate _school. I hate lying and pretending everything is alright and I'm the ever stupidly happy twin of the girl that rules the hallways and has teachers and students alike eating out of her hands.

I'm not safe and I'm not happy. How could I ever hope to be? Those who are evil don't deserve happiness… only extermination.

Ryan's hand shook as he set down his pen. With a sigh, he turned away from the book he used to record his thoughts. _ Don't think about it! _He chided himself with a harshness. _The more you think about it, the more it's going to hurt. _He let out a sigh that seemed to feel his sleeping quarters. There was a dull ache in his leadened heart that resonated in his chest cavity, the waves traversing throughout the rest of his body as well. And it hurt. Dread mingled with fear. Fear, in turn mingled with sadness and anxiety. He couldn't face them, not after the way his camaraderie with his sister had simply dissolved. There would be too many questions… questions that he did not want to answer.

**A/N: **There is love in our broken theater king's life, but it is unrequited. Is a dream enough to keep him alive? To save him? And what about Sharpay? What has happened between them? Find out in the next installment. 


	3. Chapter 3: Ally

Chapter 3: Ally

"He's bad, man. Really bad. He's practically hit rock bottom."

Opening his blue eyes, the blond male could make out the voice of Zeke Baylor, his sister's beau just outside of his bedroom door. He knew the tall African American athlete and future "Top Chef" contestant was referring to none other than; _Me. His beloved Sharpay's useless brother who's wasting away on his luxurious silk-spread sheets. _

"How did this happen?" At the sound of the second voice, life pulsed into Ryan's heart so rapidly, it sent a shock to the system, jolting his entire body alert. _Troy?!_

Although almost indiscernible to Zeke's untrained ear, Ryan could detect a note of anger and foreboding in the athlete's tone. There was something else there as well, sad, bitter and it only intensified the blond performer's longing for the brunette. It was almost as if-

_Ludicrous, _the blond scoffed_ Troy doesn't care about you._

_ Then what's he doing here? _Another voice asked, more meager and timid than the first harsh, cleaving tone.

Unable to form a response, curiosity fueled the blond and he forced himself upright, listening intently.

"I don't know, man." Zeke answered awkwardly as one might under a fierce some glare. "He seemed just fine earlier this summer, eating, smiling, dancing… you know, just being Ryan. And then… something just fell apart, I guess."

"Or snapped," Troy offered, quiet, pensive, almost subdued by the situation. After a moment, he spoke up again, his voice holding more strength than it had seconds before. "I'm going in."

"You sure about that?" Zeke broke in hastily.

They were so much closer now. Hurriedly, Ryan wrapped the blankets around his fragile body, suddenly feeling exposed.

"Yes. If anything, Ryan needs someone at his side right now. He needs a friend, Zeke. "

A faint fluttering stirred in Ryan's chest as Troy knocked gently on his door, his muffled voice calling softly, "Ryan, it's Troy. Can I come in?"

Ignoring the dual meaning of the basketball god's inquiry, Ryan answered him, "Yes."

A strip of light flooded the darkened room around the outline of Troy's masculine form. Spotting the form on the bed, the brunette male walked over and lowered himself onto the mattress beside the petite boy. "How are you?"

Even though he did not want to burden his heart's greatest desire with the truth of his condition, he couldn't bring himself to lie either. "I've been better."

"I see." In the darkness of the room concern was apparent in Troy's ocean blue eyes. "I brought you something."

Ryan watched as the brunette rustled around in the pockets of his jacket. After a couple of furtive moments, he at last produced a Ziploc bag full of brownies.

"I know how much you like these, so I got some for you."

A feeling of warmth crept into the blond's beating heart, but he couldn't stop himself from inquiring, "From Gabriella?" His mouth and his head were clearly on different pages.

Troy chuckled, his tone still warm, "That wouldn't be very likely, seeing as the two of us broke up."

Incredulous, Ryan's blue eyes widened. "When?"

"Last week. Our "summer romance" just wasn't working out. She was extremely clingy, filling up my voice mailbox everyday, demanding to know what I was doing at all hours and who I was with."

Ryan felt a burning sensation of anger. Gabriella had no business interrogating Troy and monitoring him as though he was some sort of criminal. Then again, what business did _he _have consorting with this blue-eyed blessed being? _It's wrong, no matter how Troy's kind words warm my heart and his intentions make me flush with delight… no matter how badly I _need _him…_

Visibly relaxing, Troy continued with his story and Ryan let his guard down, enjoying the company of the carefree boy. Well, carefree considering the fact that he had just ended his relationship with his girlfriend. "Chad and I were hanging out at the mall when we caught her and this guy kissing all over each other's necks, so I basically put an end to the drama right then and there. Needless to say, Gabriella was pretty pissed, but you know something, " Troy turned, looking directly into Ryan's soft, sky colored eyes that although still lacking in luster had a touch of life restored. "I honestly never felt more _free _than the moment I walked away from her. It was as if-"

"-Control of your life was back in your hands." Ryan finished.

"Yeah. That's it, Ry." Troy grinned.

Ryan couldn't help himself from smiling back, if only a little. The brunette jock's smile was contagious. Besides, he liked the way the nickname sounded coming from Troy's pink-lipped mouth. _"Ry." The way he says it with such warmth almost makes it sound…_ beautiful…

"So would you like to share those brownies?" The taller boy suggested.

Ryan blinked at him, astonished and grateful. Somehow, Troy just seemed to know how awkward it would be for him to "dig in" to the rich, sweet morsels of food while the other boy looked on. How _disgusting _he would feel, acting like a gluttonous pig while his heart's desire served as witness. "Yes." He pried apart the lips of the Ziploc bag and he and Troy each extracted a square of the treat.

In two bites, the brunette jock had devoured his brownie while Ryan was still nibbling earnestly, taking delicate bites so as not to rile his empty stomach. Once the blond theater king had finished, Troy observed the manner in which his pink tongue flicked over his fingers, working with his luscious red lips to gather up any remaining crumbs of chocolate. He could feel his face begin to burn, the sensation traveling to his nether regions. He failed to recall an instance where Gabriella had evoked such a reaction. Clearing his throat to keep straining out of his voice, the basketball god remarked "You shouldn't do this to yourself. It's no good, running on empty like that."

Ryan stared, knowing that both the golden boy of East high and he, himself should be stunned at the strength of his concern when in fact, neither one of them was the least bit unsettled. He could only justify his actions by averting his gaze, his head hanging sadly. "I know," he murmured wistfully. A strong hand cupped his jaw and he found his face being turned toward the tanned visage belonging to Troy Bolton.

"Don't you blame yourself either." The more masculine of the pair spoke in a whisper but his words could be taken for no lighter than what they were; an order.

Long ago, Ryan might have felt indignancy at being ordered around by someone who could not possibly understand what his life was like. Now, his strength and his will considerably sapped, he could only sit there, perfectly immobilized, thanking the holy powers that this boy that all worshipped, adored, and idolized was paying this special attention to him alone. His eyes locked on the ocean of Troy's orbs, seeing the waters violent and tumultuous; but at their very core, there was something calm, tranquil. _It's so alluring. _Ryan noted mentally. _It's drawing me in. _

Troy made the same observation the very instant before he pressed his lips to the smaller, broken boy's. A jolt of electricity traversed the length of their bodies, heat and fire surging through their blood and pinging off their flesh. It was unlike anything Ryan had ever experienced and he loved it. He was breathless, he was dizzy, his heart hammering against his chest so powerfully and his blood pulsing into his temples, pounding in his ears so loudly he was certain he would pass out. He was addicted, unable to remember a time his senses had been so acute, especially his sense of touch. He rubbed his flush chest against Troy's, wanting more. _Needing _more.

Once he would have held back out of fear of getting hurt. In the present, he no longer cared about the fragility of his heart. If this was the only opportunity the cruel mistress Fate was going to give him with the love of his life, he would take it for all it was worth and die placated with the memory of Troy's lips on his.

Troy knew better. He had not come to the Evans manor to take advantage of the blond boy. Keeping the kiss chaste, he at last broke off with a gentle bite to Ryan's lower lip, and nuzzled his heated porcelain cheek. "If that bothered you at all…even the tiniest bit… just let me know and I'll _never _do it again…" he panted, his desire for the beautiful boy increasing with every passing second.

"It-It didn't… It doesn't…" Ryan fell silent, his mouth failing at eloquently assisting his brain in the explanation of his feelings. Words are a necessary means of effective communication, but sometimes they can be excessive. In this case, it was the latter. Ryan's eyes said everything for him.

Troy leaned in and gave the boy a second soft kiss on his equally soft cheek. What beautiful eyes they were. Breaking off once more, he murmured, "I'll come see you tomorrow, okay?"

Joy and hope flared within the blond, the intensity almost enough to kill him if his hopes were to be decimated in the all too willing hands of fate. "Okay," he answered, his guard nearly slipping enough to place his trust in the brunette. _Nearly. _His gaze hardened at the thought of what would pass if Troy did not prove true to his word.

The jock me the look, his gaze steady. He was not about to let Ryan down. Reaching out, he stroked the boy's cheek, brushing several strands of soft blond hair away from where they hung on the actor's forehead, un-gelled but not unkept. Even though Ryan was obviously neglecting his health, he still retained his angelic appearance and obviously paid mind to his hygiene. From the lovely scent of strawberries in his hair, Troy discerned that Ryan must have just bathed recently, and found himself marveling how he found the strength to do so without the needed nourishment fueling him. Eyes flicking over his lean form, Troy told the boy "You're so beautiful, if I stay here any longer… I'll…"

And Ryan could perceive from the athlete's flushed, lust-darkened expression that he was one toe away from crossing the borderline of stability and losing all control. And if his stay was prolonged any further, no power on earth would be able to stop him from going through with taking all the blond boy was giving.

With a final kiss on the cheek, Troy bid farewell with a quiet "See you tomorrow," and exited the room, leaving the door open. Even with the stretch of light, Ryan was unable to prevent himself from feeling surrounded by a foreboding darkness, and empty.

* * *

Removing his diary from it concealed location in his nightstand, he decided that the adding of a new entry was in order. Picking up his pen he wrote in swift strokes, his cheeks full with a rosy hue. With his free hand, he lightly touched his fingertips to his lips. The tingling had not disappeared. _Troy, _he dubbed the emotion dancing inside of him. _Troy is still here. _The tip of his pink tongue flicked over his lower lip. _I can taste him. _

Words took form on the pages lined paper;

8-21 (later)

Dear Diary: If I was permitted to have even one ally in the universe… a _human _ally, anyway… perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if that ally was Troy Bolton.

-----

Eyes scanning the sentence, the male twin added, almost as if it was an after thought;

And… who knows? Maybe, just _maybe, _I'm not so alone as I thought.


	4. Chapter 4: Escape

Chapter 4:Escape

As the first rays of day break accompanied by milky hues of pink, orange and yellow began to spread out in the sky, engulfing the remaining velvety purple, blue and black of the night, a blue pickup pulled up at the front of the Evans mansion. Horn blearing, it shattered the peaceful silence of the morning.

On the second floor of the home, the blue eyes of Ryan Evans snapped open, his ears picking up a stream of curses pealing from his sister's mouth and Zeke's more mellow voice, still thick with sleep, attempting to soothe her.

Ryan's cat Hollybell looked to his master from where he lay at his feet, ears pulled back and eyes wide in alarm.

"It's okay, Holl. Easy now." Ryan reached over and gently ruffled the fur behind the cat's ears to comfort the perturbed animal. After the silence had stretched on for several seconds uninterrupted, the tortoiseshell relaxed, settling comfortably back into position with his paws tucked neatly beneath him and his tail curled around his body. Shifting his weight slightly, Ryan slid off of the bed, moving to the window. Squinting into the light, he blinked a couple of times, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the contrast. Spotting the familiar vehicle he had diligently watched for at Lava Springs parked in the road in front of his place of residence, his heart jolted, the feeling traveling circa to his stomach and back around. There was a name for this feeling as well; a title by association. _This, _he told himself, _is Troy also. _For a moment, his brain ceased functioning, leaving him standing there, peering out the window, fingers pressed to the glass. Then, he remembered the text message he had received the night before. It was still emblazoned there in his mind, the red font just behind his retinas.

"I'm picking u up tomorrow. We're going out."

Life surged back into his limbs, and he dashed to his closet, flinging clothes everywhere in desperation to find the "perfect outfit". _Gotta look good for Troy, _he chanted silently. _Have to look good for Troy._

* * *

Sharpay glowered at the pair of males, her fierce gaze centered mostly on the brunette athlete, whom she felt to be intruding upon her time reserved for beauty sleep. "What the hell do you think you're doing here at the very ass crack of dawn?" She demanded. With her arms folded across her chest and her brown eyes blazing, an expression her brother knew only too well, she was quite formidable indeed. Only someone who was out of their mind would _dare _to challenge her.

Troy Bolton was either insanely brave, or completely insane. Ryan was not sure which one.

"I came to pick Ryan up. We've got plans." As he spoke, Troy's hand found its way around one of the smaller boy's shoulders to clench the one opposite it. To anyone else, it was nothing more than a gesture of friendship. To the twosome themselves, the contact seemed much more significant.

Zeke stood at Sharpay's side, just as exhausted thanks to Troy's wake-up call, but putting forth a better front than his significant other. He seemed just on the verge of saying something to his brunette friend, his brown eyes swimming with confusion, yet, he was unwilling to say something that might further rile the blonde female.

Her gaze sweeping over the two adolescents, unchanging as it passed over her brother, Sharpay turned up her nose. For a moment, Ryan was stricken with fear that she would object. And he had found such a lovely outfit. The top was a black t decorated with the outlines of pink butterflies fluttering among dense forest leaves attached to the sleeves of a white long sleeve shirt, giving the appearance of two different garments. Form hugging black jeans clung tightly to his waist, dipping slightly into a v-curve under the hot pink belt holding them up. Finishing the look off was a black pageboy hat, brim turned off to the side at just the right angle. "Whatever!" Sharpay scoffed. Turning away, she ordered Zeke, "Let's go."

"Where?" The tall athlete asked meekly.

'To bed!" Sharpay snapped her answer and began ascending the staircase, leaving Zeke to scramble behind her.

Exchanging a glance, Troy and Ryan tried to no avail, to keep images of the alternative meaning of the female's answer from bombarding their minds.

* * *

Sliding into the passenger seat of Troy's truck, Ryan buckled his seat belt, casting a wary glance around the vehicle's cockpit. "Um… this is safe right?" He inquired, slightly unnerved by the uneven purr of the engine.

"Don't worry," Troy assured him. "If worse comes to worse we can always get out and hail a taxi."

The blond peered curiously at the brunette, expecting him to be joking. There was no humor about the athlete's tanned visage. Taking it upon himself to lighten the mood, Ryan teased "Well if we're going to fool around, you better take me to a hotel."

Troy gave him an odd look and then laughed. _Hard. _It almost seemed that he was inviting Ryan to laugh with him, and the smaller boy almost accepted the invitation. _Almost. _"That comes later."

Ryan eyed him, finding that once again, the brunette boy was perfectly serious. Turning slowly away, he felt heat creep along his face, pink filling its creamy pallor. _If Troy really wanted me, I wouldn't stand in his way, _he resigned.

Switching the gear into drive, Troy began steering the vehicle, his speed moderate as they were still in a resident area. The blond could not help but take notice of how shabby the golden boy's hand-me-down truck looked next to the ritzy sports cars, tricked out SUVs and snazzy convertibles of his neighbors. There was no rust, no chipped paint anywhere in sight. Even his Vespa was in better repair than the vehicle he was currently riding shotgun in. But there was still something about the roving trash heap that made him feel… safe. "Family heirloom, huh?"

"It was my dad's," Troy stated, his fingers tapping the wheel at the ten o'clock and two o'clock positions. "So yeah, I guess you could call it that."

Ryan remained silent for several seconds until his inquisitive side got the better of him once more. "It has a… homey feel to it."

"Yeah, I guess it does." The brunette smiled at his companion.

Once again, the actor felt inclined to return the smile, wondering if maybe it wasn't the car at all, but the company of its occupants.

* * *

The two of them entered the café at going on seven a.m. along with other early risers. There was a couple with a toddler, a man in a business suit tapping away on the keyboard of his laptop and several other customers peering over the contents of the menu. A quick surveillance proved that they were the only high school students in the establishment aside from a heterosexual couple that was partaking in the act of feeding one another scrambled eggs, eating off of the same spoon.

Grinning slyly, Troy whispered, "We should try that," to which Ryan could only blush.

They picked a booth near the window, Troy sliding into his seat. Instinctively, Ryan made to take the seat across from the athlete, but Troy motioned for him to sit down beside him.

The performer did not object.

"Are you tired?" Troy asked, seeing the dark circles of sleep deprivation despite the cover-up Ryan had spent a good forty-five minutes applying.

"No," the male twin lied, stifling a yawn. The attention was redirected for a moment as Troy's stomach grumbled loudly in discontent, causing its owner to blush. "But apparently you're hungry." _Troy's so attractive when his face is flushed._

"It's summer," the brunette basketball god explained. "I'm usually dead to the world until about ten-thirty. And even if I'm only semi-conscious, I somehow make my way to the kitchen and end up spooning either cereal or pancakes to my mouth."

Ryan couldn't agree. Was he even able to recall the last time he had eaten pancakes or a measly bowl of cereal?

"Ry?"

The blond looked up, startled, only to find Troy peering at him with an anxious expression. "You okay?" He asked, lightly touching the boy's porcelain face.

He wasn't, but again, he couldn't lie to Troy's face either. Managing an empty smile, he murmured, "Hopefully I will be."

The other boy's expression did not change, but he did not further press the issue. Instead, he lightly squeezed Ryan's shoulder, his touch strong and firm.

The petite blond felt that he could jut slip away, escape everything and leave it all far behind him. His self-loathing, his bitterness, his detachment from everything that he once cared about. Troy had an effect on him that rippled out from under his touch and dispersed throughout the rest of his body. If given the choice, he would have chosen to remain there, in the cramped booth beside the beautiful boy as long as the higher powers were willing. Somehow, his head ended up unconsciously on the shoulder of the virile boy and Troy, contrary to what most would expect, paid this no mind.

Vaguely, Ryan mulled over the possibility of that there was more to Troy's feeling of freedom after calling it quits with Gabriella. _Maybe Troy's image isn't as truthful as we think. Maybe the golden boy and god of East High is having second thoughts about the team he plays on… Maybe… I-_

The clearing of a throat abruptly severed his train of thought. Looking over, both boys found their waiter, a thin, boyish faced brunette with frosted blond highlights standing at their table, pen at the ready with a very flushed face. "Sorry if I'm interrupting something."

"No, it's cool." Only Ryan could detect the irritation in Troy's otherwise nonchalant tone.

Staring at the nametag pinned to the male's blue polo, the blond theater boy made out the name Aiden.

"So what'll you guys have?" Aiden asked.

"Um…" Troy glanced back toward Ryan. "How does chocolate chip pancakes to share and orange juice sound?"

Realizing that once again Troy was choosing to share for the benefit of his companion and not himself, Ryan nodded. "Sounds good." He wasn't sure that his stomach would be so accommodating.

Aiden shifted his weight awkwardly. "Would you guys like some toast?"

"That'd be great, thanks." Troy gave a winning smile, making the waiter flush a darker shade of red.

The blond raised an eyebrow. _Odd. _

Jotting down the new items, the boy told them hurriedly, "Your order will be ready soon," and rushed off, nearly sending a girl with three plates balanced on one arm toppling to the floor, food and all.

Leaning in, Troy whispered, "What was that guy's malfunction?"

"I think he was a little confused," Ryan murmured back.

Troy blinked.

"Erm… you know… _sexually_," the theater boy added when the jock gave him a puzzled expression.

"Ah, yeah." Troy gave a nod, lazily draping an arm around Ryan's shoulders and giving him a smile. "I'd _hate _that."

Eyes widening, the actor stared at the jock in complete bewilderment. _Something is not right here! _Within his mind, it all began to make sense; the break-up between the primo couple, Troy's friendliness, his obviously flirtatious gestures and comments. For the first time in too long, an actual smile played on Ryan's lips. "I'd hate that too," he said quietly, snuggling into the golden boy's; dual-colored ¾ shirt where it stretched tight across his sculpted chest. His cheek pressed to Troy's torso, Ryan allowed himself to let his guard down and just for a moment, allowed himself to be immersed in the other worldly light the boy emitted.

When Aiden returned with their order, blushing uncontrollably, exchanging a look, Ryan cut off a piece of pancake and brought it to the mouth of a happily compliant Troy, whom, taking the silver utensil, delivered a spoonful to the blond's soft, ruby-lipped mouth. Ryan's tongue cleaned up the whipped cream on his upper lip, and taking the napkin, he cleaned Troy up as well.

For a moment, he would allow himself to be carefree, happy. For a moment, he would escape the outside world, _reality_, and let himself stay content in a bubble with the most perfect being on earth. Because he knew that when he opened his eyes, the fantasy, the dream, the salvation would fade… and reality would be the only thing left.


	5. Chapter 5: Here

**A/N: **As it seems to have slipped my mind in the previous chapters, I must point out that I own nothing but the basic plot. If Troy and Ryan were mine, "High School Musical 3" would have been R-rated.

**Warnings:** Slash, sexual content between two males

Song Lyrics: Underlined Italics

Chapter 5: Here

Ryan and Troy strolled side by side through the park, the brunette's hand protectively enclosing the delicate hand of the blond.

"When's the last time you were outside, Ry?" Troy prompted casually.

"When Shar and I went back to school shopping about a month ago." He could sense Troy's shock but the brunette said nothing to confirm it.

Instead, he stated calmly, "That's a shame. You're one of those people that sparkles in the sunlight."

Ryan blushed self-consciously, wondering how anyone could ever consider that _he _possessed even a shred of beauty. Still, somewhere inside he had been longing to hear words of such a nature from the other boy.

If the other park goers saw the two boys' hands intertwined, they paid the interaction no mind.

The sounds of children laughing and frolicking merrily as they played games of long forgotten youth such as tag and Frisbee filled the air around them.

* * *

"Sharpay, Zeke!" Troy called as he and Ryan re-entered the Evans mansion through the front door.

"Shar?" Ryan joined in. "You here?"

When they received no answer, the two seated themselves on the couch in the den.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Ryan offered.

"Sure, I'd love to."

At Troy's smile, Ryan set off for the movie library, determined to find something entertaining, romantic, and unique. _Something that Troy hopefully hasn't already seen a million times. _

With a smile, he retrieved his selection and promptly returned, producing it to Troy.

"'The Pebble and the Penguin'," the athlete read. "I haven't seen that movie in years."

"It's sort of cheesy," Ryan pointed out, "but I like it, and I think you will too."

Putting the disc in the blue ray, the two boys settled back against the sofa and the blond selected the "play" option off of the disc menu.

After the opening narration, Ryan watched recognition flicker in Troy's eyes during the opening number, which he was already humming under his breath. "I know this song!" the taller boy remarked excitedly.

The smaller boy bit back a chuckle. On screen, a book opened the movie's title printed across its front. It contained the sheet music for the piece. Taking the top line, he sang the female part at a mezzo piano dynamic in his velvety alto-tenor.

_One perfect pebble_

Following his lead, Troy sang along with the male voice.

_Just one humble stone_

On the next line, the rough tenor baritone of the basketball god blended with the smoothness of the theater king's voice. Despite having never dueted with one another before this instance, the contrast in their singing styles allowed their voices to miraculously harmonize, producing a beauty that all pairs and groups strive to achieve but few ever do.

_But, oh what a stone _

_ Can do_

Ryan led with the female part.

_It means that I have _

_ One love forever_

_ And one love alone, _Troy finished the phrase.

The focus of their gazes shifted to one another and their dynamic crescendoed into a meaningful mezzo forte.

_I can't believe this! _Ryan told himself, his heart thudding.

Troy himself was fairly incredulous but neither of them had any regrets. Whether the song's intentions held any truth for them remained to be seen. Either way, they weren't backing down now.

_A now and forever_

_ With you_

The two of them watched the movie, singing along with the songs that they had a vague recollection of the words for. By the movie's finale, they were belting out the end of version of the movie's main theme, "Now And Forever".

_Don't be daft. Only in movies do people sing love songs when they're in love. _In spite of his thoughts on the contrary, Ryan couldn't ignore the way Troy's eyes were glued to him, the way he didn't want that searing gaze focused anywhere else.

Switching back to regular TV, the two of them began watching an episode of "Phineas and Ferb" on the Disney Channel.

"Isn't Ashley Tisdale too old to be playing Mitchell Musso's love interest?" Troy asked.

"Probably. That's why Perry's my favorite."

"I know," the brunette smiled. "Perry's the shizz."

Shaking his head, the blond smiled back.

"Doofenschmirtz should seriously quit the villain gig," Troy went on. "He's so lame."

"Especially with the names of his "evil inventions"," Ryan put in.

"I know, right?" Troy cried, displaying that childish earnest that warmed his companion's heart. "The dude adds "inator" to _everything _even if it already _has _"inator" on the end!"

Turning back to the TV, the two of them saw the "Squirrels In My Pants" rap where Phineas's older sister Candace literally had squirrels in her pants. After a verse, Candace, voiced by Ashley Tisdale would yelp in time to the beat "Squirrels! Squirrels!" making Ryan wonder why the two of them were parked on the sofa watching the cartoon in the first place.

Tilting his head to the side, Troy made a stunning observation. 'Ryan have you ever noticed how much Candace sounds like your sister?"

The blond blinked, but before he could reply, the orange haired girl gave another yelp of "Squirrels! Squirrels!" in a voice that was all too reminiscent of Sharpay's.

Simultaneously, the pair burst into laughter, their bodies shaking with the expression of amusement. They laughed until their stomachs began to ache, relishing the experience. Ryan hadn't laughed that hard since summer began. As the wave of glee began to simmer down, the head of the male Evans twin once again found itself resting on the shoulder of the brunette athlete.

"Thank you for today," Ryan murmured softly. His jaws parted in a yawn. Troy made him feel so safe, warm full, content. Those were sensations that had not been his to experience in so long. "I really appreciate it." His eyelids felt like weights, making it so difficult to keep his blue orbs focused. A welcomed haze slid over his state of consciousness. It was hard to concentrate, to keep his train of thought intent. His arm draped across the other boy's firm chest as he struggled to get the words out that were thickening, slowing with need for something that his body had been deprived of. "I love spending time with you." He was slipping away, control of his motor skills abandoning him. _"Troy, I love you."_

The blond fell silent, his breathing pattern steady and even, his chest rising and falling gently.

"I love you, too, Ry," Troy confided, shifting his weight so he could more comfortably support the smaller boy. "Get some sleep, okay?" He whispered, stroking Ryan's smooth cheek. "Lord knows you need it."

Reclining, he laid his cheek against the armrest, Ryan's sleeping form strewn across his chest. He had spent many long hours awake last night, tossing and turning as he tried to think up ways to deal with the beautiful boy's predicament and to set him back on the track that he had been horribly derailed from. _If I want to help him, I need a better understanding of what goes on inside his head. _He let out a yawn himself. _I need to prove to him that I care about him, that he deserves love and that I'm going to be there for him. _The night before, sleep had proven futile because Ryan was on his mind, now that the angelic blond was laying snuggled against his chest, safely out of harm's way for one stitch in the fabric of time, Troy let himself be at peace and sleep soon took him as well.

* * *

_Troy's hand closed around Ryan's stiffened length, pumping in brisk, powerful strokes. Throwing his head back, the blond emitted uninhibited moans of raw, carnal covetousness. The atmosphere was thick, hazy. He wanted everything; his pain, his bitterness, his identity, his sanity, to be washed away in this liberating tidal wave meant to consume him. His hips thrusted forward, countering the motions of the athlete's hands. Each thrust felt so good, so fulfilling…_

The haze slowly lifting, Ryan came to and realized that the motions to accompany those wonderful sensations were directed not at the jock's hand, but at his denim clad thigh. His face red, the blond performer was mortified and mortifyingly hard. Shifting his weight, awkwardly, he attempted to settle back into the comfort of Troy's body without further stimulating the arousal bunched up uncomfortably in his trousers.

Beneath him, Troy let out a groan. Ryan tensed in terror of discovery. Another groan passed out of the athlete and the performer wondered… _Am I losing it… or was that…amorous?_ The muscles of the brunette tensed up and then relaxed. The heat between Ryan's legs only intensified. Troy stirred, stretching out as best he could under the lightweight of the other boy. Taking notice of his companion, he greeted him with a soft easy "Hey."

"Hey," Ryan murmured back. The brunette's tanned face was also rather flushed, his sitting position awkward as if concealing something…

"How was your nap?" Troy broke into Ryan's thoughts.

Removing himself from on top of the golden boy, Ryan answered, "It was alright, I guess." His loins gave a twinge.

Troy nodded. "That's good to hear." He lifted his gaze to the sun window. Fiery streaks of pink and orange shot across the sky. "What time is it?"

"I'm guessing it's about six or seven."

"Great, there's still time."

What was Troy talking about?

Scooting in next to the petite blond, the athlete's voice dropped to a huskiness. "I'm a genie, you're my master. And I'm going to grant you any three wishes you want."

"Troy…" Ryan's brows knitted together, his heart heavy with piercing melancholy. If the beautiful golden boy wished to take advantage of him, he wouldn't resist. _I won't. I can't._ Troy took Ryan's hand and every remaining fiber of the boys' resistance shattered. "Kiss me," Ryan pleaded, his voice scarcely above a whisper yet ringing in the basketball god's ears with such desperation it made him dizzy.

He obeyed. How could he not? The brunette kissed the blond hard and full on the lips, drinking in his scent, his pain. He would take it all in. Ryan was not refusing him so Troy would not refuse any of the things the boy was offering. They fell back onto the couch, the brunette's tongue slipping into the fair actor's parted lips with ease. Ryan clung tightly to Troy, moans rising up in his throat. His index finger traced the back of the taller boy's neck, the shape of his shoulder blades, the curvature of his spine; all of them a polished, toned golden shade. It was so lovely. Purrs of ecstasy ascended from Ryan's creamy ivory throat. He arched back, allowing Troy to decorate his neck. To leave his marks of ownership on him. He was in nirvana. The golden boy allowed him to kiss at his throat as well before rubbing their bodies hot and flushed together. Troy grunted, rocking his hips into Ryan's to get the boy going. He tugged the theater boy upright once more, giving him encouragement between gasps for air. 'That's right, Ry. It's okay." His breath hitched in his throat.

Ryan stared at the other boy's Adam's apple, his blue eyes darkened with intense lasciviousness. Troy removing his cap, putting it safely on the back of the couch and then guiding him with his fingers tangled in his short blond hair was just what he needed to convince him that it was okay to proceed with the actions necessary to make his fantasies real. To give him something to hold onto when all was said and done.

Just as Troy had, he picked a section of flesh on the boy's neck and began suckling, his hips bucking forward in a constant, beauteous, maddening motion. Groaning and yelling, they wrapped their arms about one another, holding on tight as they brought each other to climax.

* * *

Holding one another, the pair sat on the porch, requiring no jackets to repel the chill of the night air other than each other's company.

Ryan lay against Troy's shoulder, his hand intertwined with the brunette's tanned appendage. He could feel the vibrations thrumming within the boy as he spoke. "I don't want to go back to school either."

The blond felt only faint surprise. 'Troy," he murmured, raising his head and looking into the jock's ocean blue eyes, his sky blue eyes misty. "Is this all a dream? When I wake up am I going to be cold and alone again? I wish that I could stay here wit you forever and not have to worry, or think or _feel _anything but you until I die."

Troy gave him a look, his eyes filled with a deep sadness.

It tore Ryan up to see that look on the face of the object of his fantasies. The male that he had always treasured from afar. Hatred for himself boiled inside of him. He clenched his fists, hoping that his nails would break through the skin; praying that the pain would rid Troy of that expression, that haunted look of guilt and bewilderment. _That's your fault! _His brain roared. _You upset Troy! You ruined it! You ruin everything! _ Tremors wracked form as he internally cursed his own existence. Arms wrapped about him, incapacitating the vows of death his brain screeched at him. The violent shuddering died as his fragile shell was pressed tightly to the firm muscle and warmth of Troy Bolton's body.

"I'm not going anywhere," Troy swore.

In the state of confusion and disorientation Ryan's mind was in, the words were at first unclear.

"Ryan. _Hey, _Ry, look at me. I'm not going anywhere," he repeated. "Ryan? Come on, I mean it."

The glaze over the blond's eyes evaporated bringing them into focus on the other boy's frantic expression. Seeing the sincerity in Troy's eyes clear and true, Ryan's lower lip quivered and he melted against the brunette's solid form, shaking with a sob he wouldn't permit himself to release.

"Shh," Troy soothed the blond, rubbing his back in a consolatory fashion. "I'm here. I'm here, Ry."

The sun sank below the horizon and night descended on Albuquerque, coloring the sky a deep blue. Troy's pink lips crashed against Ryan's red lips in fervent need. Moans laced the night air and the two re-entered the home to escape the evening chill. Summer was ending.

Hoisting Ryan up, Troy carried the delicate performer up the staircase to his sleeping quarters. Laying Ryan on his bed, the brunette athlete proceeded in undoing his own fly.

"What are you doing?" Ryan breathed, his chest heavy with desire. His swollen erection was smothered by the denim that enclosed it.

"Granting your wish." Troy took hold of the blond's slender hands and guided them toward his waistband so the obstruction of his trousers could be properly disposed of. Leaning in, he began sucking on an area of pristine ivory flesh.

Letting out a beautiful sigh, a soft moan, Ryan was at peace. The fire of self-hatred doused, for the moment by Troy's presence. _He's here with me. And for now in this stitch in time, that's all that matters. _

**A/N: **Next chapter school starts! Stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 6: Qualms

**A/N: **I do not claim to own anything pertaining to "High School Musical", the song "Stay My Baby" or Starbucks coffee. 

**Warnings: **Slash, (duh) self-pleasure. If you are below the age of twelve and you chance upon this do not blame me for any potential scarring that may occur as a result of reading. 

Chapter 6: Qualms

His blue eyes opening, a sleepy and unenthusiastic Ryan slid out of bed and stumbled into the restroom. Lucid visions of perfectly toned golden pecs and abs and a taut rear continued to dominate his mind. The sound of Troy's voice groaning his name at climax lingered in his ears. He could still taste the other boy and he was covered in his strong musky scent. "Axe…" he murmured, identifying the aroma. Through the walls, he could just make out music coming from his sister's stereo. _Probably forgot to turn it off in her hurry to achieve perfection for our first day back. _His stomach churning violently served a harsh reminder of the reality that he wanted so desperately to escape. There was no "our" anymore. There was no Sharpay and Ryan. There was Sharpay, the beautiful queen of East High, loved and adored by all. And there was Ryan, her shadow that no one noticed and no one cared about.

Peppy, carefree lyrics filtered through the walls and although muffled, they were still audible to the blond male.

_Summer love isn't meant to be_

_ And it's only a fantasy_

_ That's what everyone's tellin' me_

_ Stay my baby_

_ Even though it's a little rushed_

_ Let me know that you'll keep in touch_

_ If you don't, it'll hurt too much_

_ Stay my baby_

The knowledge of how the lyrics accurately fit his situation with Troy struck Ryan and brought back memories of the dream and the encounters leading up to it. The reaction these memories had on him brought his arousal to life within the boxers that were so large, they nearly slid off of his trim waist. _ Troy's boxers_, he told himself. He had wished for something tangible, now he had it. His stiff cock begging for attention, Ryan knew he had to deal with this problem now. Slipping Troy's boxers down to his knees, he gripped his member and pumped hard and fast, choosing not to linger and cater to the full extent of the needs his hormonal young body had. In place of his hand, he envisioned Troy's; warm, large, strong, and threw his head back, unleashing an uninhibited moan as he could only when the house was empty.

_Oh, tell me right now_

_ Oh, how it's goin' down_

"Damn Miranda Cosgrove!" he growled. The swear was followed by a series of indiscernible grunts and huffs, one syllable standing out. "Troy! Troy!" The cherished word, tasting of fire, ambrosia and bearing the scent of Axe inundated from his mouth as naturally as water flowing downstream. He whacked his pulsing, throbbing penis, his legs quivering with pleasure.

Inside of his bedroom, the cat, Hollybell, flicked an ear.

* * *

Troy took a seat in homeroom. Around him, was the usual back to school chatter of his classmates.

"Hey Chad," an older member of the basketball team teased the curly-haired boy, "did you get to home plate with McKessie?"

Troy listened to his friend give a snort. "Hell no! I've got more respect for a woman than that!"

The brunette smiled to himself. Since Chad was the only son of a single mother of three, the brown-eyed boy really had no choice but to be very attentive and mindful of a woman's needs. _Oh, he probably got an earful from his mom when he and Taylor started dating. _His friend's relationship status was second priority to him at the moment, however. He watched students file into homeroom with their _favorite _teacher, Ms. Darbus, his eyes and his heart searching for a hat adorned head of blond hair.

Jason Cross and Kelsi Nielson entered class together. The soft-spoken composer allowed her brunette curls to grow out over the summer. The raven-haired boy his shaggy locks trimmed and got lighter brown highlights.

Taylor McKessie walked into the classroom next, her head held high in a dignified manner. Her waves of ebony hair had been cut into a neat bob. A smile graced her features and she swerved toward a grinning Chad.

Troy's gaze hardened as the one person that he _didn't _want to see sauntered in, her now longer dark curls bouncing against her shoulders a cheerful smile plastered onto her face.

"Gabriella!" Kelsi and Taylor greeted the petite girl.

Other than Chad, who had been witness to the break-up, no one else could feel the tension between the primo boy and the scholar that had at one time been East High's "It" couple. Now, the golden boy and his ex glared at one another with undisguised hostility. As Gabriella took her seat at the back of class, they shot one another a last scornful look before Troy redirected his attention to the door.

He could feel her gaze boring a hole in the back of his head.

Sharpay Evans strutted in through the door dressed in a pink top, black mini skirt and silver stilettos. A purse hung from one shoulder and diamond studded sunglasses were perched on her nose. Troy already knew that the person he wanted to see would not be trailing on the drama queen's heels.

Zeke followed her; perfectly content carrying an iced frappucino, which obviously belonged to the blonde female, from Starbucks.

Chad gave the taller boy an irate stare as if questioning his sanity to which Zeke could only shrug in response. The two of them took their seats the instant before the bell rang. Several students continued their bubbly conversations. Others of a more studious nature like Taylor and Kelsi paid attention to the "back-to-school" announcements. Even as Ms. Darbus took the floor with one of her usual long-winded speeches, Troy's mind was on the person who's absence made the entire classroom seem like an empty void to him. Every time the door opened, he found himself looking up, his heart jolting expectantly only for it to sink in disappointment.

_ Where is Ryan?_

* * *

Panting heavily, Ryan ran down the familiar white-tiled hallways, his heels clicking. His lungs burned and his sides ached. A little voice in the back of his head warned him, _you can't handle this_, and somewhere inside, he recognized that he was reaching his limits. The morning's frantic search for and outfit left him no time to eat, not that he trusted himself to. Bolting out of the door, he hollered a goodbye to the household pets and hopped on his moped, zipping in and out of traffic to get to school on time. He narrowly avoided a head on collision with a semi going down the highway.

Since he had parked his vehicle in the parking lot, he had been running, kicking out his long, well developed legs in a mad dash that any athlete would envy. Reaching a point where his vision blurred and his head became light, he knew he had to stop. Slipping his messenger bag off, he rested against a locker, beads of sweat rolling down his burning forehead.

Everything hurt. His lungs burned with each breath his shuddering chest struggled to reign in. _ Bravo, Evans! You've done it once again._ Blackness swam before his eyes. It was dark water and he was fighting to stay afloat. A bell rang, the sound resonating in his skull, buzzing with horrible vibrations that wracked his brain.

Bodies filled the hallway, tightening the air around him, suffocating him.

"What the hell?" A boy remarked, roughly brushing past him on his way to his next class.

"Move it fag!" Another voice joined in.

Further down the hall, Ryan could see a mop of shaggy brunette hair and a pair of ocean blue eyes on a virile from making their way down the hall, the crowd parting to allow their passage. "Ryan!" The voice belonging to these features called.

All of the sounds around the performer died out. Footsteps thundered with sickening volume.

"Ryan!"

The earth slid out from under Ryan's feet and he fell forward, hard tile awaiting his landing. His head hit the floor and then everything went black.

* * *

_Waves lapped softly, the strength of their tide carrying the body of the fallen blond downstream. The current was smooth, not littered with rocks and debris. Control of his motor skills abandoned him and Ryan allowed himself to be washed away, slowly erased from existence. _No one will come looking for me, _he thought with a feeling of tranquility. _

Troy might, _a tiny voice countered. _What will he do when he finds out you're dead?

_Dead?_

Am I dead?

"What's wrong with him?" A voice, male inquired.

"A lot of things, Chad. Most of them having to do with his fucked up sister," a deeper voice replied.

The current was gone, the cool water replaced by strength and warmth that enveloped him. Then he remembered. He had passed out in the hallway and now Troy and Chad were missing class to take him to the nurse. _Stupid! Look at what you've done now! _His eyes fluttered open, revealing the close proximity of the golden boy's chest and how tightly his shirt stretched over the muscle of said part of his body. Blushing slightly, Ryan forced himself to look up, his eyes moving to the boy's neck, where a red mark was just visible above his collar, one that he had put there, and finally focusing on his face.

Troy glanced down, noticing the pair of alert blue eyes peering back at him. "He's awake, Chad!" He called, getting his friend's attention. Laughter came from the classroom the transport group had paused in front of, causing the teacher to direct a glare at the brunette before shutting her door.

"Keep it down, man. The whole school doesn't need to know," Chad advised his friend with a laugh.

"Coulda told me that earlier," Troy grumbled under his breath so only Ryan could clearly hear him.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing," Troy answered innocently, a mischievous smile playing across his face. His demeanor soon changed as he looked at his cargo. "How are you, Ry? Are you okay?"

"I think so," Ryan admitted, feeling both embarrassed and guilty at his actions.

"Can you walk?"

The blond nodded. Troy set him back on his feet. Ryan stumbled slightly, his knees buckling for a moment, and in that brief time window, the other boy's arm was around him, steadying him and giving him control of his body once more. They caught each other's eyes, the contact baring their souls to one another. Troy smiled first and Ryan reciprocated. Inside of him, a barrier was being eroded by Troy Bolton. His eyes. His voice. His touch. His smile.

Chad cleared his throat, pulling them away from one another.

Rolling his eyes, Troy gave his bushy-haired friend a half-hearted glare. "Yeah, Chad's here too. He carried your hat and your bag."

The other athlete held up the black fedora that had at one point been sitting atop the blond's head and the bag that had been worn across his chest. "Yep," he affirmed. "Sorry to interrupt your love fest, guys, but if you've got things handled…"

"Thank you." Ryan's gaze softened but his eyes revealed nothing. In the company of the other boy, he had already sealed himself back up. "Both of you." His expression blank, he pretended that he was still Ryan Evans, king of East High's theater and not a listless, self-loathing shell of the person that held such a moniker. He took his hat back from the athlete and placed it on top of his head.

"I think Ryan'll be okay, but…" Troy trailed off, leaving the remainder of his sentence open to interpretation as the blond's bag was handed over to him.

"Right. Well, I'll head on back to class then. Taylor's gotta be missing this."

Troy and Ryan both let out a _pft_ of laughter.

"Later man." With a wave and a knowing smile, Chad set off, leaving the two alone in the empty hallway.

"I don't want to go to the nurse, Troy," Ryan stated, breaking the silence that had set in with Chad's departure.

"I know." Troy took the blond's hand and changing direction, moving instead toward the southeast exit, the twosome resumed walking.

Confusion filling Ryan, he prompted, "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home," Troy answered.

_He'll miss school because of you! _The smaller boy's inner voice roared. He opened his mouth to protest only to have the words die as they formed on his lips from the look Troy gave him.

_I'm doing this because I want to, _it said. _You can't change my mind. _

He didn't try to. Looking at Troy, his heart was light freed from the dead weight that leadened it down. Freed from the constriction that smothered him. Liberated from the guilt that suffocated him day and night. He knew Troy was an impulsive and committed young adult. To have someone like that- _care about someone like me?_

No. He would not allow his thoughts, his fancies to stray to things of that origin. He _couldn't._ He loved the brunette and was falling for him in a more powerful way than he ever would have considered possible. _But is Troy really ready to desecrate himself and destroy his reputation to be with vile scum like myself? _Not even his harsh, frank inner voice had an answer for that.

Exiting the building, the pair of males headed for the parking lot. Ryan found the words to the song that greeted his ears that morning, Miranda Cosgrove's "Stay My Baby", dancing through his head.

_Everything'll be okay_

_ Everything'll be all right_

_ I know that it'll go my way_

_ If you stay my baby_

_ I'm never gonna give you up_

_ I'm never gonna have enough_

_ So now 'til forever_

_ Stay my baby _


	7. Chapter 7: Release

**A/N: Disclaimer: **I own neither Troy, Ryan, the Evans mansion, nor Boi. If I had the rights to these boys, they would have an entire series of adult movies and novels about them.

**Warnings: **Hand job! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Chapter 7: Release

Ecstatic yips and mrrows welcomed the boys into the lavish Evans estate. Sharpay's Yorkie Boi leapt up at Ryan's black denim clad leg, demanding attention from the subordinate of his mistress. Hollybell wound himself around Troy's legs and as the jock knelt to pet the feline, he felt the tom's body vibrating with a purr.

"He likes you," Ryan observed, stroking the head of the miniature pooch, making sure to scratch the spot just beneath his diamond studded collar.

"Does he now?" Raising an eyebrow, Troy smiled to himself, scratching the cat's soft white chin.

"He's very protective of me, you know."

Chuckling to himself, the brunette envisioned the tiny tri-colored fur ball with his ears flattened, spine arched and claws unsheathed, hissing and spitting fiercely to defend his master. "Then I'm glad I've earned his approval."

Ryan smiled softly. It was becoming harder to refuse Troy, especially as his closest four-legged friend and ally had already accepted the athlete. _If this is what Troy wants…_

* * *

Amorous grunts and whines filled the male Evans twin's bedroom. Troy lay on top of Ryan, tongues dancing within the blond's mouth. Relishing the hot moistness of the contact, the actor's blue eyes rolled, closing in pleasure.

Suddenly the brunette broke off. "Are you sure you're okay?" He whispered, his concern evident.

"Yes," Ryan reassured him, puling him back in. He did not want this to end. He wanted Troy to take all of him. _Maybe I'm developing hedonistic tendencies. _He could hear himself voicing his extreme pleasure in mewls of delight as the golden boy kissed at his neck, his hand venturing toward his fly. He welcomed the attention, arching toward the hand intent on giving him the release that he was in dire need of.

Troy's hand slipped through the silken fabric of his undergarments. In no time at all, he had the boy's cock fisted, stroking his freckling of dirty blond pubic hair with his free hand. Watching his larger than average blessed muscle being pumped by the boy he loved and feeling shockwaves of pleasure wracking his hormonal body, Ryan threw back his head, screaming out his frenzied amore for all the world to hear.

"Aah, yes! Troooy!"

The brunette emitted low, throaty grunts and growls and Ryan knew that the male's own manhood was bunched up within his jeans screaming for attention.

"What about you?" He asked breathlessly.

"Shh." As the performer made to sit up, the playmaker gently pushed him back down. "This isn't about me. Let me service you."

Such words had never been directed at the blond before. The employees at Lava Springs flattered him and served him because he was the owners' son as well as a member and held their paychecks in his hand.

What reason did the almighty Troy Bolton have for his behavior that displayed no ulterior motives? He didn't know. And in that moment, he didn't care, either.

With his powerful strokes the jock had the boy squirming and writhing with pleasure, clinging to his forearm as his cries filled the expansive living room sized bedroom.

"Troy! Troy! Aaahh!" It felt so good. Everything was being burned out of him b the searing heat of the basketball god. At the height of this inferno, he came hard, his hot white climax spurting into the taller brunette's palm. Shaking from the long overdo release, Ryan adorned Troy's face and throat with kisses, whimpering gratefully as the athlete gave his member a few more gentle strokes with his fingertip.

"How was it?"

Drawing forward timidly, Ryan sucked at Troy's finger, his tongue lapping up the sticky fluid.

Waiting for his answer, Troy went to work as well, drinking up Ryan's flavor until he was thoroughly intoxicated.

The pair lay back, sinking into the sea of sheets on the massive bed.

Turning to face Troy, Ryan let his feelings be known. "It was perfect," he purred. His blue eyes twinkled softly and the golden boy realized that this was the first sign of genuine delight he had seen from the soft beautiful male all day.

_Hell, this is probably the happiest he's been in months._

Ryan snuggled into the athlete's chest, a contented smile on his red lips. Within moments, he was breathing easily, his eyes closed, sound asleep.

"When he wakes up, I have to make sure he eats something." Seeing the sleeping boy so at peace, Troy absolved that feeding him could wait. Smiling himself, he gently kissed Ryan's forehead before burrowing into the pillows and joining the blond in slumber.


	8. Chapter 8: Ambition

**A/N: **Alas, although it pains me to admit, I own not a thing from High School Musical.

Chapter 8: Ambition

"Did you miss anything from school over the summer?" Troy queried, rubbing Ryan's shoulder as the frail adolescent lay against his chest.

Recalling all the joy and pleasure he had derived along with the rush of adrenaline from performing onstage alongside his sister and the golden boy, he relayed, "Performing, I guess." If basketball was anything to Troy like what being onstage was for him, the brunette probably felt the same about the sport. Yet, that wasn't entirely the truth. There was something else that he had been missing; a person. A boy. And not just any boy for that matter. "Would you like to know a secret… if you promise you wouldn't get upset?"

Troy blinked, nodding silently.

"I missed you most of all."

He did not have to look up. He could feel happiness radiating from the being of divinity in the form of a glorious smile.

"I missed you too. I missed watching you stare out of the window with that dreamy expression. I missed watching you bite the tip of your pencil in thought and seeing you writing, forming words in delicate, refined strokes of the pencil, a thoughtful look on your face instead of scribbling furiously just to be done with it."

Ryan blinked, feeling heat creep across his face. Obviously, he was not the only one that was guilty of scrutinizing other boys while they were unaware of what they were being subjected to. Troy described all these characteristics that many demeaned and referred to as "annoying" with a fondness to his voice almost as if he considered them to be _cute. _The blond was embarrassed, but at the same time, a feeling of glee swelled in his bosom. _Perhaps the god of East High is as smitten with this crownless king as this king is with him. _

"But most of all, I missed watching you perform. You're so passionate and animated. Every role you take on, you embody, bringing the character and the entire show to life. You're so much better than me!"

Averting his gaze, humbled by the praise, Ryan sighed. "I _was. _But not anymore."

Troy's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"It's _Sharpay's _theater, Troy. _Her _drama club, _her_ stage, _her _spotlight. _I_ don't even have a portion of it. To her, I'm neither an intimidating competitor, nor an equal." Another sigh passed out of him. His voice hardened almost inaudibly. "I'm just her singing partner." _Trapped in the shadows, eclipsed while she shines in the light. _

"Hey." The athlete took the boys hands into his and with his free appendage; he cupped the actor's chin, tilting it toward him. 'There'll be none of this talk. You are _not _just Sharpay's singing partner and you are _not _her equal. You trump her in everyway."

Now it was Ryan's turn to blink in astonishment as Troy began to list all of the reasons he surpassed his sister.

"You're beautiful, selfless, elegant, graceful…" Trailing off, the brunette stared at him with impassioned reverence. "There's no one else like you out there. You're unique and amazing and Sharpay will never, _ever _be able to compare to you."

"Oh Troy…" Light-headed, his heart thumping, a starry-eyed Ryan stared into the other boy's ocean colored orbs of blue, rejoicing at the raw honesty he found glimmering on their surfaces.

"And while all of that bull about Sharpay owning the stage may have been true in the past," Troy went on, "this is our senior year! We rule the school now; we don't have to take crap from anyone anymore. This is your chance to rise up, Ry!"

Ryan was transfixed by the insanities spewing from the mouth of the god-like boy. _Once upon a time, I used to think that way. I used to dream. _

"And you don't have to do it alone." The brunette's voice dropped to a tenderness. "I'll be there for you, every step of the way…"

Was that what it sounded like?

"If you'll have me…"

Confidence stirred within Ryan's lesser frame, a confidence that had been displaced. _Maybe you can't live on dreams… _Luster returning to his listless gaze, he squeezed Troy's hands, his resolve firm as his vice. "I wouldn't have anyone else," he whispered. Leaning in, he kissed the jock with no hesitation.

Troy smiled into the lip-lock, returning it full-heartedly. After several moments, the blond broke off and the brunette spoke. "We do this together, yeah?"

A smile curling his lips, Ryan's eyes gleamed softly with an ambition to match his counterpart's. Or was it _boyfriend _now? 'Together."


	9. Chapter 9: Possessive

Chapter 9: Possessive

8-24

Dear Diary: I have now received the release that I was in desperate need of at the hands of none other than he himself. Yes, that's right; Troy Bolton gave me release with his own right hand. And where does that leave us? I can tell that we have come to view one another as so much more than the boy we stared at in secret from across the room. We're something far more significant to each other.

Gabriella is no longer a threat as far as romantic opportunities are concerned as she and Troy now share nothing more than their detest for one another.

* * *

Troy undid Ryan's fly and pulled down the tight boxers made tighter with his turgid member bunched up within them. His belt hung from its loops as the blond returned the favor of alleviating the tightness on the brunette's loins.

"No one else is allowed," Troy growled, kissing at Ryan's porcelain face, a hand on the nape of his neck. "No one else is allowed to touch me." With his unoccupied hand, he guided the slender hand of the blond to his abdomen, encouraging the boy to slide it around his waist, which he did. "I'm all yours."

"All mine," Ryan echoed, blissfully inhaling the beautiful musky scent of Troy's Axe cologne.

"And no one else can have you. You're mine, right?"

Pressing his body to the other boy's, Ryan affirmed what he wanted to hear. "All yours."

Kissing with fervor, the virile golden boy backed the theater boy into the wall. Ryan moaned at the feeling of Troy's rock hard body against his lean curvaceous one in the tight quarters of the custodial closet.

* * *

8-25

Dear Diary: It seems that a rival has presented himself. _Jimmie Zara_ is the moniker he bares. A scrawny, hyperactive sophomore, at first glance, he doesn't pose much of a threat. However, it is apparent to any onlooker that he has a serious case of hero worship for my love, Troy, bordering on unhealthy obsession.

He seems to keep record of Troy's movements and has the uncanny-if not scary- ability to pop up out of the blue and frighten the beautiful being and then annoy him without fail. Whenever Troy is preparing to do something with me, Jimmie, or "Rocketman" as he prefers to be called by his chums will materialize out of thin air and lay a hand on the golden boy's sculpted shoulder, causing him to conjure a level headed response through clenched teeth.

The kid takes his idolization seriously, even sporting side swept bangs and a mop of shaggy brunette hair to imitate the sex god of East High's immaculate look. I hear he plans to make the basketball team this year. I wonder if this is a reason for concern. The very thought of him and Troy showering together… is… _quite _disturbing to say the least…

* * *

"Hey, Troy man!"

Troy tried not to visibly cringe as the familiar voice called out to him in the hallway.

On one side of him, his best friend, Chad Danforth sniggered, "'Hay' is for horses."

"Oh yeah, ha ha, Chad," the brunette retorted, looking frantically about for somewhere to hide as the other brunette adolescent made his way over.

"Don't worry, dude," Chad assured his friend his demeanor serious now, "I'll protect you from the pint-sized prick. I'll hold him off while you and lover boy make your great escape."

Troy managed a smile, blanching with relief. "I owe you one."

Ryan stood there, awaiting Troy's signal. As soon as the taller boy took his hand, he permitted himself to be tugged around the bend. Pressing against the wall in imitation of every ninja and spy movie the two boys had ever seen, they stuck to the shadows, allowing the darkness to conceal them from sight. From their position, they could pick up Chad's conversation with Jimmie quite clearly.

"Danforth, what's up?!" The sophomore exclaimed.

"Hey Zara."

"Where'd Troy go?"

"Troy?"

"Yeah, he was just standing here a few seconds ago."

"Was he?"

Troy stifled laughter, biting down on his lip.

Ryan understood why Chad was the "funny man" of the school; it was a title that fit him with accuracy.

"Let's go," Troy mouthed and taking his hand, the blond slunk off at the brunette's side.

* * *

Seated on a staircase that routinely never saw much of the student body traffic, Troy found that the theater king had fallen into a silence and any silence with Ryan he had come to acknowledge instinctively as a bad thing. _When he's not talking, when his brain is not preoccupied with forming words to keep a conversation going, his mind goes to a dark place where I can't reach him and he hates himself. _

"Ry," he called.

Jolting, light flashed into the petite male's blank stare. "Hm, Troy?"

"What are you thinking about?"

He could at least be honest with Troy. That's what relationships are about right? Honesty? "Jimmie," he admitted. "To be honest, I'm sort of jealous that if he joins the team, he'll be able to see you in a way that I haven't."

"You know that doesn't mean anything. We'd be just showering together. It's regulation." The brunette grinned. "When _we _shower together, it'll mean so much more."

Ryan blushed a light pink, envisioning himself and the golden boy, their flesh slick with suds and hot water, their hair dripping as the glorious spray rained down on them and they locked lips in a wonderful wet kiss. Shaking his head, he cleared out the lovely, steamy fantasy. _Can't go getting hard now, can I? _He asked himself with a silent, awkward laugh. "We?" He inquired aloud, a smile playing across his face.

"Oh yeah. You and me, babe."

The addition of the pet name sent a thrill coursing through the blond.

"Besides," Ryan could feel Troy's hot breath tickling his throat, making the transparent hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the sex god closed in. "'_Rocketman' _does not now, nor will he _ever_ have a pair of my underwear in his possession. "

While the blond gave a murmur of agreement, smiling in good humor, the brunette kissed him on the cheek.

"Don't worry, okay?"

Returning the peck to the cheek, Ryan realized that in such a short time period he had come to trust the youngest Bolton with his life. Troy was an honest person and only said what he meant. "I won't," he promised. He meant it as much as his partner did.

"I'm all yours, Ryan." Don't you forget it." Troy's irises darkened as his put his hands on the petite actor's waist.

The words were everything that he had ever wanted to hear; a symphony that featured all of his passion, love desire and abandoned dreams coming true in five simple, simply _magnificent _syllables. "You're all mine," he echoed. _Almost sweeter than I love you. _His arms twined around the brunette in a tight embrace.


	10. Chapter 10: Isolation

**A/N: Hey. Readers. Yeah, you. **I know you're clicking on this story. I know you're reading it, absorbing it and loving it the way Ryan loves Troy. Would it be so hard for you to click that button at the bottom of the screen and leave me a few words on exactly what it is that you like? I know I'm not rendering all of you speechless. I greatly appreciate my readership, really, you guys have no idea, but would some feedback every now and then kill you guys?

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing recognizable. I do however own the book of plays by Oscar Wilde that is mentioned, and he was an author beyond words. I also own David, the oc that is mentioned although that is nothing to be proud of.

**Warnings:** Foul language and sexual content.

Chapter 10: Isolation

"Ryan, get up!"

The blond male gave a jolt as his sister's voice called his name. Stunned, he pondered what could have possibly made her acknowledge his existence. Joy and terror, two heavily contradictive forces, swelled within him. Whatever reason Sharpay had for coming to him, it couldn't be good.

"Come on, I said up!" She demanded. "Get dressed, I would like to go shopping with you."

_Huh. Why doesn't she take Zeke or one of her other peons? _He wondered to himself. _When did I become an asset to her? _ He would not dare question her, however. She was his sister, and whether or not she cared or couldn't give two shits about him did not matter.

"Alright," he called in response. Wearily sitting upright, he stretched out his tired body. "Carpe diem," he muttered balefully and pulling the covers aside, he crawled out of the warmth and safety of his bed. This time, Troy would not be there to catch him when he fell.

Stepping out of the changing room in a sequined top, Sharpay posed in the manner of a model at a photo shoot. "How does this look?" She asked her brother.

"Great," he replied with a half smile. For three hours that was how the routine went. They were actors. They pretended that their interaction was not empty and falsified. That the atmosphere between them was not so tense and thick as one could cut through it with a meat cleaver.

To any passerby, they were the Evans twins; Sharpay flaunting her god given beauty for all to see and Ryan praising her extraordinary appearance.

To Ryan himself, his sister's brown eyes were vacant , regarding her brother as a stranger or an estranged relative rather than the twin she shared everything with. He was exhausted, his gaze hollow and his stance reluctant.

Once he enjoyed his sister's company, now he absolutely dreaded facing her and the accusatory gleam in her eyes. The warmth that had existed between them simply dissolved over the summer. Cringing, he recalled all of the harsh words she had spat at him, her eyes a blaze with a fury he had never paid witness to. The sting of her palm against his cheek was still felt sharply almost a month later as it was in the past. It was as if he were to look, he would see the outline of the blow, red against his white pallor.

_"uYou worthless faggot! How could you?! Look at what you made me do, all because you couldn't keep it in your pants, you little whore!!" Sharpay screamed, fury blazing in her eyes. She was apoplectic. _

_ All that Ryan could do was stand his ground, his face stricken with a terrified expression. He was helpless to do anything as his twin lashed out at him, her anger searing his innards. He could feel everything; misery, loathing, spite, radiating from her crippling waves. "Sh-Shar, I didn't… It was David… I wouldn't…!" He struggled to summon the words that would suffice to spare him form his sister's infamous wrath. _

_ "Save it!" She snarled, her pretty face contorting into a mask of ire. "I _know _you seduced him! David would _never_ betray me. Quit lying to me, you little bitch!!"_

_ Her arm swung out, her hand connecting with his face. Ryan found himself on the ground, shaking as his twin's emotions and his own intermingled, overwhelming him. Pain shot along his visage, stinging horribly as it mixed with the internal agony. Tear welled in his orbs of blue, blurring his vision. "I didn't… I didn't…" he sobbed, curling into a fetal position on the floor. Biting on his arm, he bit back a cry of pain, his body shaking. He felt her gaze rake over him in disgust ne final time before deciding that he wasn't worth it. She whirled on her heels and padded silently away, the tails of her pink silk robe trailing the ground behind her._

_ She left him there, a pathetic, sniveling wretch lying in a heap on the floor…_

"Ryan! Ryan!"

Shaking his head, the blond left the flashback behind him, rubbing his nasal cavity as it began to throb in pain. Suddenly he felt very queasy and ill.

"Ryan!" His sister called for a third time.

He looked up, his eyes wide with fear. _You're not the victim here, _his inner voice chided. She _is. Remember that._

Sharpay placed her hands on her hips. She had changed back into her own clothing. Her monochromatic checkered skirt matched her brother's argyle sweater. Her top was a sparkling gold that complimented the hip-hugging dress slacks of her male twin. "About time. Grab the bags. I'd like to leave." She stared at him as if expecting a reply.

_What am I supposed to say that will please her? "Yes your majesty?"_

When he remained silent, she click-clacked ahead, leaving him to gather the parcels uncovered during their expedition. As he floundered, attempting to pile four shoe boxes and five shopping bags into his arms for transport, the box at the top of the stack slid off before he could react and the lid popped off on impact, spilling the diamond encrusted sandals it held onto the floor.

Flustered, Ryan let out a despairing sigh. Before kneeling to retrieve the bedazzled footwear, he caught himself looking around for a mop of shaggy brunette hair, encouraging and helpful ocean colored eyes and strong, supportive arms. He half expected to hear that rich, easy voice saying, "Whoa, careful, Ry!"

But he should have known better. "Stupid!" He muttered. "He isn't here, you ignorant poof!" Sighing, he felt a pang of sadness infiltrate his heart, which had become all too easy these days. Re-situating the baggage, he set off, click-clacking in the direction his twin had gone.

"I know!" Sharpay chirped, her tone syrupy sweet. Absent-mindedly, she twirled a lock of her golden blond hair. Beside her sat her brother Ryan, attempting to block her out by immersing himself in a book he had purchased.

Mist from the mall's fountain wet the floor before them, casting a reflection of Ryan's dismayed face.

"Aw Zeke, _really_?" His sister cooed. A few mall-goers stared, wondering if the bubbly female was cerebrally stable.

His eyes focused intently on the pages of his book, a collection of plays written by Oscar Wilde, Ryan could only pick up snippets of his sister's conversation with the other male. Currently, the characters Cecil Graham and Lord Darlington were having a conversation on the topic of women they fancied and how falling in love affects a man's attitude in the play titled "Lady Windermere's Fan".

Cecil Graham: What is a cynic?

Lord Darlington: A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Cecil Graham: And a sentimentalist, my dear Darlington, is man who sees an absurd value in everything and doesn't know the market price of a single thing.

"I know!" Sharpay squealed giddily. "See you soon. Bye Zekie!" Quickly, she hung up and was on the phone with another in an instant. "Daniel, Ryan and I are at the mall."

How foreign her own brother's name had become on her lips.

"I need you to pick us up and pick up my beau Zeke… Yes… Ah, the _sound proof _limo, if you please."

When Sharpay said, "if you please" as Ryan knew, it was not a matter of whether her addressee was inclined to do as she asked of them or not. They simply did so. No questions asked. And, cringing to himself once again, Ryan knew that Sharpay was stressed out and when an Evans was stressed out, they did one of two things; vent or indulge.

Mrs. Derby Evans, their mother took to the study of yoga to rid herself of negative feelings.

Mr. Vance Evans, their father, relied on a round of golf to soften out the hard edges of his mood.

Ryan took after his mother. He studied yoga and learned the techniques to prevent himself from having another anxiety attack. He did not want a repeat of the seventh grade when the class tarantula some how made a great escape and was found to be nestled in his favorite flat top. After several minutes of hyperventilating, he eventually blacked out. When he re-awoke, he was at home, on his bed with the words "loser fairy" written on his forehead in bright red ink. Of course, in real life, the application of such techniques did not always come easily, and these days now that Troy Bolton has become a major force in the direction of his life, a second pair of hands upon the wheel, he began to lean more toward the methods of his sibling.

In this case, Sharpay found herself with nothing to vent about, so indulging would just have to suffice.

* * *

His stomach churning, Ryan stared ahead, his gaze listless and unfocused. He squirmed uncomfortably as the pleased grunts and eager sighs of the tall athlete and his sister filled the vehicle from the seat beside him.

Their bodies tangled together, Zeke ran his fingers through the sweet waves of Sharpay's golden hair, mussing it up.

In his mind, the younger twin recalled the sensation of Troy's hands exploring him. How he longed for that now. Jolts of the feelings his sisters was experiencing shot through the circuitry that had connected them since birth; shame, indignation, euphoria, bitterness.

He heard her familiar giggle as Zeke fingered her bra strap.

It was too much. He found himself gasping for air. The gastric juices of his stomach churned violently and the couple of cheese fries he had eaten at the food court were rising up, ready to achieve fame by leaving behind an aftertaste that would linger for hours. He gulped down the foul tasting fluid, but he knew that it would rise again. Reflexively, he clapped a hand over his mouth. It was futile. His self-control was completely abandoning him. Summoning up what remaining control he had, he pushed the button for the intercom. "…Daniel,"

"Yes?" The chauffeur answered calmly. "Mr. Evans?"

"Pull over please…" Spasms assaulted the ailing organ. He gulped down the vile substance for a second time. "NOW!"

The dark-haired young man obeyed and parked the sleek black vehicle beside the curb.

Flinging open the door, the blond male staggered onto the devil strip and promptly emptied the contents of his stomach onto the grass. Finishing the foul deed, he wiped his sleeve along his mouth, staining it with remnants of vomit. Miserably, he looked toward the vehicle where Daniel was watching him with a look of revulsion. The driver made no attempts to assist him.

Sharpay and Zeke were too preoccupied to care.

_They probably haven't even noticed that I'm gone._

Shaking with exhaustion, a lonely ache twisted his heart. _I miss Troy. I miss him so fucking much right now! _He imagined the golden boy's strong tanned arms wrapped about him, carrying him back to the vehicle, concern blazing in those eyes that penetrated his soul. Shakily, he made his way to the limousine. _No one can help you. No one _will _help you. No one gives a shit. _

_ Troy does,_ a meek voice asserted. Trudging back to the vehicle, he slumped into his seat. _If Troy was here, he wouldn't want to see me like this. I'm so weak. Stupid. Worthless. _Holding down the button for the intercom he said "Daniel,"

"Y-Yes, Mr. Evans?" The other male's voice was wary.

"Take us home."

* * *

"Aah yes, Zeke! Ohhh!"

"Mmm Shar baby!"

Ryan laid there in his bed hearing the bumps, rattling and cries to accompany his sister's intimacy with her lover. His bed was empty but for himself and his contentedly snoozing cat. Trying to block out the less than pleasant sounds, he rolled over. Shutting his eyes, expansive blackness met him. Out of the blackness, an image began to form. Tanned skin emitted a golden glow. Blue eyes softened as they looked upon him.

_Troy. _He gave a name to the figure, the boy in his mind.

He stretched out his pale hand, reaching for the one he loved. Troy was reaching for him. Their fingers touched and Ryan could feel his heart racing. _Thump. Ba-thump. Thump. Ba-thump. _Troy leaned in, their personas melded together. Their personas and so much more. Troy entered him slowly, taking time with his thrusts. There was no need to rush. They had forever in this perpetual expanse of white. Forever to nurture one another's needs. Ryan could feel the divine being's hands gripping his hips and they weren't letting go. Troy set a powerful easy rhythm, and the pounding blurred into heat, wonderful heat. It was so perfect. _So good. So _perfect.

"Troy! Troy!" Startled, Ryan awoke, jarred from his peaceful slumber by the sound of his own voice conveying his carnal pleasure. Heat met his hand and he realized that he had been dreaming. Once more, to his own bitter disappointment, the brunette basketball god that he loved so much was nowhere in sight.

The room down the hall had fallen silent. Stroking his member gently with his fingertip, he felt the appendage moistened by the pre-cum that had formed around the head of the muscle.

"Troy," he whispered. There were no ears to hear his voice and no mouth to respond. No one was there. He was alone. "Fuck," he growled softly, bitterness tinging his smooth voice. He gave his neglected cock a few more strokes before extracting his hand. Laying back, he stared at the glaring red numbers on the digital clock.

2:00 am.

With a sigh he told himself, "No one in the world can hear me. I may as well be dead." His loins were swollen with need that he forced himself to ignore. The muscle in his chest began to throb with longing as well but he could do nothing to quell either of them. Ryan had never felt more alone, more cut off from the rest of the world.

And although that overpowering inner voice told him, '"It's what you deserve," for once, he found himself questioning and hating what Fate dished out. "Do I really deserve _this_?"

**A/N: **Now you have been given insight to what caused the problem between the Evans siblings. And Ryan is beginning to take a mental stand for himself. Review if you guys want Chapter eleven up soon. It's my break, so I can make it happen! But you have to _**review!!**_


	11. Chapter 11: Epiphany

**A/N: **Special thanks to all of my reviewers! Thank you all for giving me and my little fic the time of day. Now, onward!

Chapter 11: Epiphany

"Mm, don't you love Fridays?" Troy stretched out his arms, careful to avoid the delicate blond's face as the boy sat in the passenger seat of his truck, mere inches away. "I'm looking forward to a nap. What about you?"

"A nap sounds lovely to me," Ryan admitted, his eyelashes fluttering against his fair cheeks in a way the brunette deemed incredibly attractive. "I'm pretty exhausted."

"I see," Troy acknowledged. Once again, this was obvious. He had spotted the performer dozing off in class several times. But, this was also rather remarkable. _This is he first time he's been so honest with me about it. Little by little, he's opening up to me. He's letting me in. _An immense joy swelled in his chest with this news, and it gave him a burst of energy to evade his lethargy a moment longer. Sitting up, he shifted the gear into drive. "Buckle up."

"Hm?" Ryan blinked.

Troy chuckled at the other boy's confusion. Emotions had never before seemed so appealing to him until he had seen them on the pale face of the boy he loved after being repressed for so long. _Sure emotions can be a burden sometimes, but without all of them, good and bad, life isn't worth living. _ "Well, we can't exactly take a nap here in the parking lot, can we?"

After considering it for a moment, the blond let out a giggle. "No, I guess we can't."

Troy smiled. "So we're heading back to your place…" He paused, then added slowly, so that he would not come off as presumptuous, "If that's okay with you."

Ryan turned and stared directly into the golden boy's vibrant blue eyes that had a magnetic pull on his heart. "Of course it is," he said quietly, a warm smile on his luscious lips.

* * *

Awaking from a wondrous slumber, Ryan discovered that he was still lying in the position he had found himself falling blissfully way in. His cheek was pressed against Troy's sculpted chest and warmth pooled out from the supple arm the other boy had draped across his back. The scent of Axe filled his nostrils. "Oh Troy…" he breathed. It was positively intoxicating. He needed to get away, just for a moment. He needed space to think, to reason. In one graceful movement, he slid upward and kissed the boy's cheek softly, then moved out of the embrace and left the brunette in the sea of blue spread upon the bed.

He stepped out onto the terrace down the hall and held onto the railing that bordered the structure enclosing it. Staring into the sky of black velvet that held thousands of pinpricks of white light, he felt so small and insignificant… yet, he was also dazzled and enchanted.

For the first time, he would not accept what he had come to know as his fate. _I want to feel happiness. I want to be loved. I want to know that someone is going to be there for me. Maybe it's selfish, but I want Troy. I love him. I need him… I…_

A rustling behind him indicated a second presence had joined him on the terrace. He did not need the aid of sight to identify who stood behind him.

His rich tenor baritone floating on the night air, Troy sang softly, his words only for the blond that stood before him.

_My dearest friend_

_ If you don't mind_

_ I'd like to join you _

_ By your side_

_ Where we can gaze_

_ Into the stars_

A true musical aficionado, Ryan recognized the bit Troy was singing to him as the part sung by Jack Skellington in his duet with his love interest, Sally the hand-stitched doll in "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Warmth blossomed in his heart, a rose in bloom. In a re-enactment of the scene in the film, he stood there, allowing Troy to cross to him.

Sally's part came so naturally out of his mouth and once again he was singing with the other boy, their pitches intertwining in unrivaled perfection.

_And sit together_

_ Now and forever_

On "forever", Troy reached him and took his slender hands. Their blue eyes locked. They were in the eye of the storm and neither one of them had ever been happier. Troy Bolton and Ryan Evans. _This is what I want, _Ryan told himself. _This what I need. _All his life he had been waiting for this moment. That was when the realization hit him. _Now and forever. _It was an attraction that defied all standards of normalcy, of conformity, of morality… and neither one of them could give a damn.

_For it is plain_

_ As anyone can see_

_ We're simply meant to be_

Ryan drew forward and closed the distance between himself and the taller adolescent. Timidly, at first, he kissed at Troy's pink lips. As his desire became fonder, his confidence grew and his tongue slipped through those pink lips, exploring the moist cavern inside. He felt warm, large hands slithering south, squeezing his round buttocks. He moaned into Troy's mouth, and this encouraged the brunette athlete to do so once more. Pulling out of the union of mouths, he continued on from the jaw of the one he loved to his strong neck, relishing the vibrations of the moans within his throat. Heat dispersed throughout his form, especially so from his manhood, which was pressing against the front of his jeans, desiring freedom.

Flushing, he could feel heat coming from the bulge Troy's jeans as the also very flushed athlete stated in a strained voice, "Let's take this inside…"

Were they moving too fast? Was intimacy so early on a sign of good or bad things to come? In that instant Ryan let all thoughts contradicting actions of such a nature escape him. He needed this. He needed _Troy oh so badly. _And no force on earth, in Heaven or in Hell would deny him this.

Staring into pools of blue that said everything all of the words on earth were incapable of justifying, a single message was transmitted. "It's time." And with this message came an epiphany of unignorable significance:

"I love you, Troy Bolton." After so long, his heart's desire had finally found a voice.

"I love you too, Ryan Evans." Troy's blue eyes glowed with affection that time would not soon efface.

In return, Ryan's orbs the color of the sky blazed with a brilliance of long repressed passion that none could weather. They embraced, impervious to the chill of the night in the world that consisted of only them. Strong arms safely enveloped Ryan Evans and Troy Bolton had the boy he wanted with every fiber of his being to protect at long last in his embrace where he could rid him of the thoughts that ailed him. _And, _he added silently, _give him release. Well, him and me. It's fucked up, having to please yourself with your right hand all of the damn time. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. _He swept the blond up and carried him bridal style back into the estate.

**A/N: Next chapter: **Troy and Ryan express their love for one another. 


	12. Chapter 12: Wish

**A/N: I apologize a million times over for taking so long with this update!! **If any of my readers are still out there, I assure you that I haven't "drowned" or anything like that. The Tryan action gets more hardcore in the first part of this chapter. If you can't handle that kind of intense male-on-male love, you're more than welcome to skip ahead to the end. It starts out smutty and ends in fluff. Again, I must state that I own no part of Disney' tyrannical reign on the entertainment industry, no matter how much I wish I owned these two lovely boys!

Chapter 12: Wish

Troy peeled off Ryan's clothing layer by layer, casting each offending garment off to the side. When finally he found himself faced with the theater king's creamy ivory flesh in all its celestial beauty, he couldn't help but make the remark, "You're so beautiful." Moonlight shimmered on the boy's pale skin, casting an ethereal glow.

"So are you." Ryan popped open his partner's fly, making him groan, jutting his hips forward.

"What're you…? Oh, Ry!"

Fingering the golden boy's bulge that lay beneath boxers that barely obscured it, the blond hushed him. "Shh…" His voice was calm, soothing, hypnotic. "You granted my wish, now I'm returning the favor." He pulled down the cotton undergarment and flicked his tongue over the eager head within.

Seated on the bed, Troy relinquished control over to the performer whom apparently was not a complete novice like he himself. _He's got the mouth, the tongue for this. Oh, that tongue…! _Said tongue was twisting him into knots as it flicked up and down his shaft. He couldn't handle the teasing. It was killing him. "Oh, Ry! Baby, please. Take it… all of it!"

Words Ryan Evans never thought he would hear. They held a symphonic quality. His head fuzzy, the smaller boy obeyed and took the needy muscle into his mouth. With little effort, thanks to the practice he'd had with popsicles, he was deep-throating it. Although about average in size, the member of Troy Bolton was just as extraordinary as the rest of him.

The golden boy was moaning loudly, biting back yells. "So… fucking good, aah… Ryan!"

As he pleased his fantasy, bobbing his head to increase satiation, Ryan's hand crept toward his own member, but Troy wouldn't allow it. Seizing the hand, he brought it to eyelevel and gently kissed the tips of the boy's slender fingers. "You're mine," he growled softly, irises darkened.

Biting his lip, the blond nodded, aroused further by the athlete's possessiveness. He lowered his hand to Troy's toned chest and tweaked a nipple.

Troy's eyes rolled with pleasure. Lunging forward, he covered Ryan's chest with kisses, pleased to see that his ribs were not as visible as they had been before.

A whimper came from the blond as a trail of open-mouthed kisses down his abdomen lead to his groin. "Troy… Troy please! I need you inside of me. _Please_!"

"Alright." Sitting down, Troy beckoned Ryan to him with his finger.

Sitting in the brunette's lap, the performer braced himself as the boy entered him slowly. Cries filled the room, so loud and unabashed, Sharpay and Zeke's intimacy seemed contained by comparison. This was raw, uninhibited and _so _much better, in spite of the initial pain.

With encouragement, Troy's thrusts began to pick up speed, leaving Ryan clinging to the boy's inner thigh.

"Oh yes…! Yes! Troy. Ohh…!!"

Tanned and ivory flesh smacked together, rippling with the impact.

"Fuck yes, Ryan! Ohh! Aahhh!!"

Troy's voice swelled, reverberating off of the lavender walls as his dynamics increased. Yes, he was a virgin, but never had he considered that this level of physicality with a member of the same sex would be _this amazing. _Then again, it was Ryan Evans, the most beautiful boy in school, probably in the universe. _If _this _is a sin_…! "Aah, Ryan! Ryan! God, yes!"

None of Ryan's fantasies could compare to the real thing. Although it was a mere assumption based upon his appearance alone, their peers had been right when they referred to the basketball god as a sex god. His physical prowess was on a supernatural level as he easily pounded the smaller boy into the mattress. _Spot on! _Ryan noted mentally. Another moan erupted from his chest as Troy emitted a guttural groan. Falling onto his hands and knees, the manhood of the divine being still inside him, Ryan bucked his hips, sliding up and down up and down the shaft of this boy that he loved. "Troy! Ohh! Oh!! Troooy!!"

"Ryan!! Aah, Ryaaaaaan!!"

The thrusts blurred together into numbing heat. Seconds became minutes. Minutes seemed to stretch on into hours. The bodies of the two males joined, becoming one. Then, they went limp, tension leaving them in the form of milky white streams of ecstasy.

_Perfect_, Ryan Evans dubbed the experience that he had just shared with his fantasy personified. _Perfection. I'm alive at last. _Lying back in the sea of sheets, they basked in the afterglow.

"Ryan," a hot, sweaty, flushed and joyous Troy Bolton ventured, "you know you still have one wish left."

During the summer, people cling to the light of the simple yet complex firefly. They know that their summer has officially ended when even the light of the one solitary fellow who dares to venture out even as summer heat turns to the chill of autumn, is extinguished. For Ryan, the promise of three wishes was something that he reveled in, a delight such as the childhood fancy of catching fireflies and harnessing their glow in a glass jar. Fireflies were a trophy, something that you could boast about once it was in your grasp. Troy, however, was a person.

He was not a genie. _But still he's made my wishes come true. _

It only took but a moment, for Ryan already had the knowledge of what his heart coveted. One thing and one thing alone. His ally when he had been drowning in despair. His support when no one else could give a shit. His savior when no one else would save him. When no one else could. One word was all that was required. One word would see to it that all of his wishes no matter, how big, how ridiculous, how insignificant would come true. "You. I wish for you, Troy Bolton."

A smile broke out on Troy's face. It was his most beautiful smile.

_The smile meant only for me_, Ryan mentally embellished.

Scooting in, the brunette placed his lips directly over the blond's. Ryan closed his eyes in anticipation as Troy gave him a loving kiss, which he amply reciprocated. As his eyelids lifted slowly, Troy was still there; a wish, dream, the last firefly of the summer.

"Your wish is my command," he golden boy conveyed.

Stars shining in his eyes, Ryan threw his arms about the other male, and Troy held him tightly until sleep took them once more. Outside the stars twinkled, heir shine intensified. A wish had been realized.

**A/N: Next Chapter: **Introduces East High's drama club and a nemesis is revealed. Stay tuned. 


	13. Chapter 13: Rivalry

**A/N: **As you all know, I have no rights of ownership to anything recognizable. I do, however, own the ocs mentioned n this chapter as well as the Troy/Ryan duet, which is a song that I wrote. I apologize beforehand if it is awful. 

Chapter 13: Rivalry

"Today we shall be working on collaboration." The voice of Ms. Darbus reverberated off of the walls in the auditorium.

Ryan and Troy whom stood side by side exchanged a glance.

"In our exercise today," the bespectacled drama teacher went on, "I will split you all into pairs. Working with your partner, you will cultivate a classic routine combining singing and choreography. I will score you on how well your talents mesh in the final presentation."

"If Chad was here," Troy whispered, tickling Ryan's ears, "he'd request that she translate that into English."

Ryan muffled laughter with his hand.

Sharpay and Gabriella cast a glare in the direction of the two boys, sniffing with disdain at their private joke.

"I will now announce the pairs," Ms. Darbus stated, getting the attention of the adolescents once more. "Sharpay, you will be partnered with Ms. Montez."

The two girls looked to one another with smiles of false warmth.

"Kelsi, you will assist Ms. Allison Finch."

The brunette composer gave the newcomer to the drama department a welcoming smile.

Ms. Darbus continued on down her list of names. "Cassidy Freeman and Alan Jacobs. Erica Stewart and Joseph Mason. Jeremy Chen and Jesse Fitz. And Ryan," she fixed the blond theater king in her gaze, "you will be working with Mr. Bolton."

Feeling a trill of joy, Ryan playfully nudged his partner. "Did you hear that, 'Mr. Bolton'?"

"That I did, Mr. Evans." Troy gave him a nudge back, careful, of course, to be much more gentle than he was with any of his friends.

"Do you all of you comprehend the assignment?" The elderly woman glared at her students through the lenses of her glasses. Even if they didn't understand what was expected of them, they knew better than to voice it. A silence instantly descended on the room. "Good. Begin."

Clamoring ensued as six pairs rushed onstage, their chatter resuming.

"What combination of "singing and choreography" shall we present, Ry?" Troy inquired, imitating their instructor's flowery speech.

Before, Ryan would have sought out his sister and consulted her, however, this option was no longer accessible to him. His heart ached bitterly, but he knew that Troy was standing there awaiting an answer and he would be damned if he was going to let the divine being down. "We'll think of something. For now, let's just make sure that we can mesh," he symbolized the word by interlacing his fingers, "as dance partners. We can do everything else amazingly well."

"Absolutely!" Troy agreed.

From their flushed faces, it was obvious that they were both recalling the events of the previous Friday.

"D-Do you want me to lead or…"

"You lead, Ryan. Your dancing skills far surpass mine."

Warmed and flattered by the compliment, the blond stepped in and took the other boy's hand. "Follow my lead. We'll just try out a simple waltz." Clasping Troy's hand tightly, he took the first step, the golden boy following his lead. He counted the steps, keeping the rhythm smooth. "One two three. Four five six. One two three. Four five six."

As he listened to the light voice of the other boy, a transition occurred within the Troy. He became more comfortable with the step pattern and allowed himself to gain confidence. With a rush of exhilaration, he took the lead and twirled the blond performer around. They became freer with the moves and as Ryan began to shake his hips, the athlete's hand crept to the blond's pelvis bone. Now in synch, the counting out o the rhythm was no longer necessary. The ease with which the two stepped so gracefully across the stage, their timing and execution flawless warranted stares from their peers.

Jeremy and Jesse, the other pair of boys felt incredibly awkward by comparison.

It was so natural, dancing with Troy. Looking into the eyes of the other boy, Ryan felt the world falling away around him and he paid it no mind. They were in another place where a single spotlight illuminated them, dancing to music they alone could hear.

Words formed within the mind of the actor, rolling off of his tongue.

_Can you believe_

_ Where we now stand?_

_ My eyes on yours_

_ Your hand in my hand_

_ Someone pinch me_

_ I'm off in dreamland_

_ But when I blink-_

Troy twirled him slowly and the boy continued singing.

_My vision becomes clear_

_ And there you are_

_ Still standing here_

_ Could someone wake me_

_ Because suddenly, I have no fear_

After listening intently, Troy pressed his hand, palm open to the other boy's. It was now his turn to voice what he felt.

_You're free falling_

_ And so am I_

_ So take my hand_

_ And together we'll fly_

_ With feet so light_

_ We'll never touch the ground_

_ Mmm _Ryan hummed sweetly, sotto voce.

Their voices blended once more.

_And let the people stop and stare_

_ No force, no power anywhere_

_ Can make me regret_

_ Taking a chance_

_ Gravity can't reach me _

_ I'm up so high _

_ That sense can't breach me _

_ I'm losing my grip on reality_

_ Baby I can feel the music_

_ When we dance_

The brunette tipped the blond and the illusion slowly faded. They were back in the real world, dazed, breathless and mesmerized; transfixed by one another's eyes.

"Bravo!" Ms. Darbus exclaimed, breaking into applause. Kelsi and Allison jumped in and with some encouragement, the rest of their peers joined them.

Broken out of the trance, Ryan and Troy stared around them, wearing faint smiles at the applause the routine had earned.

"Well done Mr. Bolton, Mr. Evans. I believe the two of you shall excel at this exercise. Such wonderful compatibility."

A murmur of agreement came form the petite brunette composer.

From what Ryan could see, there was but one person visibly rankled by the praise he and Troy received. Gabriella Montez wore a look of scorn, her brown eyes narrowed.

Looking at the girl's expression, a feeling of dread took form in the sensitive stomach of the blond. Obviously, she was not pleased that her former beau had found himself with another to hold, kiss and fondle. Especially so since the newly claimed object of his affections was a male. _She has no right_, Ryan thought, carefully restricting his own feelings of contempt for the adulterous female, _not after the way she mal-handled Troy. _

The girl's eyes gleamed menacingly, her glare intended for him and Troy alone.

Ryan met the gaze unflinchingly, undaunted by the light of battle in those pools of brown. For Troy's behalf and for his own. He had to prepare himself for the challenge being proposed. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Gabriella will not rest until she makes the both of us pay._

Troy was not blind to the malignant stare his former flame was giving his partner. He draped his arm protectively around the smaller boy. His touch was warm and very welcome for the soothing affect it had. "If she tries anything," he whispered against the boy's ear, reviving the intimacy that had been momentarily forgotten, "we'll fight her. We'll fight back like hell. She won't go down without a struggle and neither will we, Ry." Although his voice was soft, fury backed up every syllable. Troy was not about to lose what he had worked so hard to fortify. Ryan had been but a fragile snowflake and slowly with him as support beam, the blond had been morphed into a more crystallized form. There was still quite a way's to go before he became the substance hard enough to deflect and rebound from the onslaught of hard-edged words and swinging fists. _And he needs me to help him get there, _the basketball god resolved. _I'll be damned if I lose him because of her. _

Their stance defensive, the two boys regarded the girl. Their enemy.


	14. Chapter 14: Trailing

Chapter 14: Trailing

Troy buried his head in the crook of Ryan's neck, kissing at it. Beginning to unfasten the buttons of the blond's collar, he made his way up the boy's slender ivory throat to his lips, which he nibbled at.

This was not quite enough to sate, and Ryan let this be known. His fingers twining into strands of silken brown, he drew the boy in with coaxing whimpers.

Troy smiled to himself as the assertive side of the boy emerged. _I'm piecing him back together. But I have to admit… _"You know," he began, navigating the terrain of attempted speech through the insistent lips and tongue that busied themselves with seeking the attention their owner craved. "It _really_ turns me on when you get like this."

"Does it?" There was a tantalizing lilt to the blond's voice that seized Troy's heart and dropped right below the waistband of his baggy jeans.

"Hell yes."

"Well," Ryan lowered his voice, permitting it to take on a huskiness, "when you talk like that, it drives me wild."

The brunette grinned. "Really?"

"Hell yes." The performer parroted the athlete's tone, but Troy was not the least bit embarrassed.

"You are so weird," he chuckled, kissing the top of the boy's head. Breaking off slowly, they locked eyes.

Ryan felt words on the tip of his tongue, but his motor skills failed him. His mouth hung open as he floundered helplessly to summon up a response.

It wasn't needed.

"Troy, man!"

"Auugh!" A groan of pure frustration came from Troy.

Recognizing the voice, Ryan sympathized.

A lanky brunette traversed the panel flooring of the classroom and plopped down on the desk opposite where they were standing. It was Jimmie Zara.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" The sophomore announced.

Troy heaved a hefty sigh. 'That's great, Jimmie," his tone was hardened, annoyed with the interruption, "But can't you see I'm bu-"

"Call me Rocketman," Jimmie offered.

"Okay…" Troy rolled his eyes. "'Rocketman", do you have a reason for traipsing in here when I'm preoccupied?"

"Ah, dude! Were you guys like making out or something?" Jimmie's eyes sparkled excitedly.

Taken slightly aback, the two older boys stared at one another, hoping to find sense in each other's eyes.

"_Is he…?" _Ryan's inquisitive sky colored eyes asked.

_"I don't know,"_ answered the beautiful ocean shaded orbs of Troy Bolton.

"I saw his picture in your locker dude," Jimmie said, directing his words to the golden boy. "And there was a picture of this girl that you drew a monocle, a goatee and devil horns on."

Although the pink of blush filled Troy's tanned face, the ends of his mouth curled into a triumphant smile. Eyeing his lover, Ryan knew that the "girl" that was the object of the defamation was none other than Gabriella Montez. And the childish thrill the golden boy received from such a juvenile act was all too attractive.

"That's wonderful, Jimmie. Is that all?" Troy was obviously eager to return to his earlier activities.

"Not quite." The sophomore flipped his bangs out of his eyes, further irking the older brunette, as this was one of his habits. "I wanted to ask if I could hang out with you guys after school."

"Hang… out?" Troy looked to Ryan, helpless and brain-dead.

Backing him up, the blond piped up for the first time, "Jimmie, I'm sure that friend of yours…" He found himself groping for the name.

"Deon," Jimmie assisted with a proud bob of his head.

"Yes, I'm sure he'll miss you if you choose to, "hang out"," he air quoted, "with Troy and me."

"Nah," Jimmie dismissed the comment. "D-man's cool with it. He said he had a date with a fine lady."

_Kids_, Troy thought, _so polluted by television and the internet. _He could only shake his head.

Ryan turned to the basketball god. Whatever his decision was, he would support it.

Reluctantly, Troy accepted. _The kid can't do too much harm. At least he isn't trying to come onto me…. or Ryan. _As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he knew just how important the latter was to him. In such a short time, the blond boy that had always faded into the background when he was swallowed by the swarm of worshippers, casting an imprint into his subconscious, had become the center of his universe. He voiced his decision. "I guess."

"Alright!" Jimmie leaped off of the desk in a celebratory fashion.

Ryan's gaze shifted from the lanky sophomore to his own built and defined lover. _There's another reason Troy is so adored by everyone, and it goes beyond skin deep. _

"Come on, Ry."

He looked up to see the golden boy extending his hand. The gesture was so familiar; it filled the performer's chest with blissful warmth. Sticky, flowing, wonderful warmth. Without a second thought, his hand attached itself to the outstretched limb, their digits linking. _Troy's beauty is not only there on the surface. He's warm; every ounce of him and that comes from the inside. _

Once Ryan was at his side, Troy motioned to the other boy. "You too, Rocketman."

Ecstatic, Jimmie jumped up and trotted after the pair like a puppy.

The three boys hung out on the tennis court in the community center. The thwack of the racquets against the balls rang out sharply. Ryan couldn't help but stare as a player that had his back to them leaned in for a volley and his shorts rode up. He recalled the days of summer when he had played tennis on the court at Lava Springs, watching far more than the swinging of their racquets. The swinging of man meat was much more his fancy.

It was as if Troy and he were wired to one another's thoughts, however, for right as the recollection dawned on him, he heard the tenor-baritone of his love asking him, "You used to play tennis, didn't you, Ry?"

"And golf and baseball," the blond answered absent-mindedly. Blinking, he noticed the detachment of his tone. He had never been comfortable playing sports. "It just wasn't me," he added, his voice now carrying more sentimentality. "I always knew that I was meant to be onstage and when I'm up there, singing, dancing, I don't have to be confined to the limitations of the myself. I can become whoever I want."

Nodding along, Troy put in, "My dad had me on the court ever since I could hold a ball." His smile was wistful, nostalgic. "'You're gonna be great, Troy', he'd always say. He wants me to follow in his footsteps, continue his legacy after he threw the towel in and lost the championship for East high in his last game. He's-" Hesitating, the youngest Bolton looked to the younger Evans twin, seeking support, understanding.

_The things he feels his father will never give him_, Ryan acknowledged, feeling a surge of indignancy at such a folly thing. _He's their only son; shouldn't they support his decisions? My parents don't care what I do. _His heart sank. This was the very first time he had ever had to face the harsh reality of the situation with his kindred. He pushed grief for his own problems aside. _Troy needs _me_, now. He has the appearance; the unearthly beauty of a god, but he is not invincible. I can't keep relying on him to be my crutch. I need to help him, for once. I need to be there for him. _

Troy's voice dropped. "He's not exactly so open to the idea of me exploring opportunities to find myself. He has a path set out for me already."

"I was taught that you set your own path," Ryan relayed pensively. "Nothing is set in stone."

"My dad wants me to be _perfect_, Ry." Those blue eyes were so intense. "My dad and everyone else. They're all pressuring me to be some sort of pillar of society, and I'm not." Wistful, he at last pulled his penetrating stare away.

With maturity beyond his years, Ryan's voice took on a maternal tone. "Troy look at me."

The brunette turned to him.

His pale slender hand clasped the large tanned one, stroking its knuckles reassuringly. With his free hand, Ryan gently touched the athlete's cheek. Once he had the undivided attention of the distraught boy, he spoke, each word sharp, clear and meaningful. "No-one-is perfect. We're _people_, Troy. All of us have our faults and imperfections." _I have faults to spare_, he mused internally. "Very rarely do we find someone that isn't constantly analyzing people, seeking out their faults so that they can judge them. And it's even more rare to find someone that can look past all of your faults, your weaknesses, and see untarnished beauty and perfection beneath them. When someone is capable of doing that," he whispered tenderly, a fierce glow in his orbs of sky blue, "that's love."

Leaning in, Troy closed off the distance of between them. The contact between their lips was hot, fiery, sparks pinging off. There was a momentary lapse in the time frame of the ephemeral heaven.

"Do you think I'm perfect?" Troy asked.

He was pleading.

Ryan felt the world shift beneath them. Troy's arms were around him and he was steady once more.

"Even when no one else does."

They kissed again, the fire raging, resistant to any method of dousing. Jimmie reappeared. "Hey, dudes!" He greeted the pair. "I brought beverages."

"Oh, thank you!" Ryan gave a polite, breathless smile.

"Thanks," Troy murmured.

"I got a bottled water for you guys to, you know, share and all, and I got myself a cherry Pepsi!" the sophomore announced proudly.

"Um… Good job…" the older brunette said awkwardly. Reaching out, he took the bottled water and removed the cap without even thinking about it and handed it to Ryan.

"You didn't have to do that," the blond conveyed quietly. His cheeks had reddened a bit.

"I know," Troy answered. " I wanted to make things easier for you."

_You do, Troy,_ Ryan thought. _Everyday you're with me, everything becomes so much easier. Living, existing, they're no longer drudgery tasks for me._

"So, Troy, Ryan."

Four blue eyes fixed on the one that had spoken their names.

Casting a glance over his shoulder to assure that no ears had strayed toward their conversation, Jimmie lowered his voice, leaning in in an effort to be secretive, "How did you guys know?"

"Know what?" Troy asked calmly, his hand resting on Ryan's where it gripped the plastic bottle.

"That you guys like…" The younger boy began to blush. "You know, other boys?"

Eyes wide, the athlete and the actor rapidly turned to each other. Was Jimmie really following in Troy's footsteps so far?

**A/N: **More insight to what formed the rift between the Evans siblings. Also, David, the catalyst, is 

introduced for the first time. Stay tuned! 


	15. Chapter 15: Conversation

**A/N: **I own nothing pertaining to the High School Musical franchise. If you recognize something, it is not mine. I _**do**_, unfortunately own David. UGH. As always, this _is _Troy/Ryan slash, which means boy on boy love. And some angst ahead. If that's not the cherry on your sundae, then by all means, click the back button now. A flame will only confirm that you have been infected with the conformist stupidity that plagues most of society. Anyway, on with the story.

Chapter 15: Conversation

"Wh-Why do you want to know that?" A flushed Troy queried.

"I'm curious," Jimmie replied. "I like guys too, but…"

"Not quite in that way, right?" Ryan offered. If he and Troy had been drinking the water, they would have spit it back out from sheer shock. As an actor, he was able to maintain a cover that was unjarred.

"Well, yeah. And you guys are so cool, I wanna learn more about you," the sophomore informed the pair.

"I see." Troy's shock had died down quite a bit from the intensity it had been at moments before.

"I always sort of knew," Ryan explained. "Yeah, I was around girls constantly, but I never saw them as capable of being anything more than my friends. And sure, they were pretty and sweet and all, but when I looked at boys or the first time… I _knew_ that I was attracted." The memories of his experiences flooded over him, both negative and positive, and although the majority were the former, he wished to burden neither Jimmie with his young, impressionable mind, nor Troy with events that had transpired long ago and whose outcomes could not be altered. "In the locker room during gym class in the sixth grade, I would sneak peeks at the other boys while they were in their underwear…"

_And these images would remain emblazoned in your skull all day long_, his inner voice threw in its two cents.

"I enjoyed it…" he admitted. "Maybe I'm a lech or a freak or something."

"I'd say 'or something'." Troy's smile lessened the harshness of his words. "I don't see anything wrong with that. People of the opposite sex eye-rape each other all the time."

"I made prepubescent boys the object of my pre-teen voyeuristic pleasure and you find nothing wrong with it?" Although shocked, Ryan used a mild tone for inquiry, hoping that several choice words were beyond Jimmie's level of understanding.

"They should have been grateful that you gave them the time of day," Troy asserted. "You're beautiful, Ryan." He leaned into the blond theater king and whispered, "I'd let you eye rape me anytime."

Ryan felt himself smirk. "Just as long as you eye-rape me too."

Troy smirked back. "Whenever you wish it."

Crazy people repel people that have a "normal" thinking pattern. They attract others that are certifiable. It is a simple law of attraction and in the case of Troy Bolton and Ryan Evans, one that held true to a fault. In spite of the model image Troy projected to the rest of the world, a façade of normalcy, he was nearly as mentally unstable as Ryan himself.

"What about you, Troy?" Jimmie questioned, bouncing energetically in his seat.

Troy had to restrain the urge to grab him by the head and force him to stay still. "When I saw Ryan dance," he replied. "With all of that pelvic thrusting and self-touching he was doing, I was spellbound. I had to keep my legs spread apart…" His eyes widening, he let the rest of the sentence drop off, far too embarrassed to inform the sophomore of the reason behind such a method of accommodation.

Ryan, however, being on the same brain frequency as the basketball god was tuned into his thoughts. He already knew of the reason to the rhyme. "I was your first?" He asked, his heart swayed by the notion of being the one that coaxed the boy out of the closet. His voice cracked slightly on the word "first".

"Of course. And only, I've never really looked at anyone else… well, side form the occasional lingering stare in the locker room." He lowered his voice, his next words meant only for Ryan's ears. "You're the only one that has ever gotten me hot and heavy."

Delighted chills traversed Ryan's spine. He felt no sense of triumph, only a vague feeling of happiness. A smile played across his red lips.

Noting the smile, Troy felt inclined to return it.

As Jimmie allowed the words of his elders to sink in, he came to a conclusion. "I think I like your sister," he told Ryan, breaking into a grin. "Since Troy's taken, she's pretty hot."

Ignoring the comment about himself, Troy relayed, "Hate to burst your bubble, but Sharpay is in a relationship too, kiddo."

Ryan fell silent, able to neither defend, nor disgrace his twin. In place of heartache, a void stretched, gaping in his chest. He bit his lip, trying not to shudder with the acknowledgement of the disconcerting state the closer-than-blood relationship with his kindred had fallen into.

Taking notice of the yawning silence from the blond male, Troy looked to his boyfriend, desperate to get him talking and out of that dark place and time. "Ryan?" He called softly.

Troy's tenor baritone was replaced by the deeper intonation of a far more mature boy. The tennis courts faded away.

_He was back in the kitchen at Lava Springs Country Club. The room was empty but for a few employees that were washing off utensils so that they could clock out. Before him stood a boy with sleek ebony hair and lustful hazel eyes. _

_ "David," he murmured._

_ "Ryan." David smiled. The upper buttons of his uniform shirt were undone, revealing his collarbone and sculpted muscle underneath lightly bronzed flesh. _

_ Ryan looked around; praying fervently that someone of authority would appear so that he would not be left alone with this attractive and manipulative boy. _Something isn't right_, his mind warned him. _

_ David sauntered up, invading the blond's personal space. "You know, I've noticed that you seem quite lonely." _

_ "Y-Yeah. I suppose I am lonely," Ryan stammered, taking a step back. His dreams and thoughts were always filled with the boy he watched from afar, wishing that he could have. That he _couldn't_ have. _Troy.

_ "My," David chuckled, his voice soft, seductive, "is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?"_

_ Recognizing the flirtatious innuendo, the blond assessed the danger factor of the situation. Yes, David was plenty attractive and probably experienced, not to mention oh-so close, but he _couldn't!_ There was the matter of Sharpay's attraction to the alluring employee as well as the fact that his own heart belonged to another. _Shar likes David! I'm in love with Troy! I _can't_ do this! I can't! _He felt his back hit a wall. He was trapped, cornered, and David was drawing in ever nearer, his eyes flashing green with a predatory gleam. _

_ "D-David, we shouldn't be doing this!" Ryan protested, his eyes wide in trepidation. "We-!" He was cut off, silenced as the older boy laid a finger to his lips. _

_ "Hush now. Mr. Evans, I know the stress you've been under lately." David's words were thick, smooth, dripping from his mouth like syrup as he nuzzled Ryan's pale, slender neck. "I can make all of those bad feelings go away." His dense form pressed wantonly against the blond's petite one. _

_ The performer could feel the needy length of the dark-haired male against him, and he bit down on a groan, tensing with mingled pleasure and disgust. _This is wrong! _"D-David, don't! No! Stop!"_

"Stop!" He cried, his eyes shut tight.

"Ryan! Ryan!" Troy's tenor-baritone filled his ears, a thunderclap of concern.

Staring into those ocean orbs, he recalled the lust in David's hazel eyes and was overwhelmed, swept up in a nauseating tide of guilt, shame, and self-loathing. After that memory resurfaced, he simply couldn't face Troy. _I've been unloyal. Unfaithful. I've soiled our relationship. _Tears pricked at his eyes, blurring his vision and his stomach churned violently. His lunch rose up, the foul taste flooding his mouth and he fled, stumbling blindly across the building until his legs buckled and he collapsed.

He wretched pitifully as he spewed his last meal onto the tile floor. When he had finished the vulgar, loathsome deed, he slumped into a trembling heap, the bitter taste lingering on his taste buds. Sitting there, unable to summon the strength to stand, he felt strong hands slip underneath of his arms and gently lift him until he was righted. He recognized from the strength of the touch who it was that held him. And as his body crumpled he fell back against the hard, dense frame of the boy he loved. "Troy…!"

"Shh… I got you baby." The brunette athlete held the blond tightly, rocking him and whispering soothing words until the tremors of his petite body subsided.

"Troy, I didn't mean to! It was David! He wanted _me!_ Sh-Shar…!" Burying his face in Troy's chest, he let the pent up tears slide down his cheeks.

Although he didn't understand what Ryan was talking about, he suspected that he had drudged up a memory that was better left buried in the seraphial boy's subconscious. The rift between the Evans siblings had obviously formed as either a direct, or indirect result of this travesty involving some guy named David and Sharpay's unwillingness to trust her brother. Troy, however, held not a shred of doubt in the truth of his lover's words. Whatever happened, he could tell from the electric pulses running through the boy's body that Ryan was not to blame. "I believe you, Ryan. It's not your fault. I believe you."

The flow of the smaller boy's tear began to cease as Ryan was comforted by the basketball god's words and his presence. _Troy believes me! Troy believes me!_ He cuddled against the warm muscle of the brunette boy that had once again prevailed at saving him from himself. A feeling was welling inside of him; one that had become almost foreign to him. Within, the hole that had existed for so long in his chest began to seal itself up. "It's thanks to you, Troy," he told him, twining his arms about the athlete's waist. "You're making me whole once again."

Hearing these words, Troy smiled and held his Ryan tightly. _I'm fixing him piece by piece by piece… _He felt rewarded by being informed that Ryan knew of his task by being informed that Ryan knew of his task, his vow and acknowledged that he was accomplishing it. But he knew, just as Ryan himself did, that there would be no real closure for either of them until their families accepted their relationship and Sharpay forgave her brother.

A rough road lay ahead of them, the path uncertain, but they could take solace in the company of one another. Without each other, their chances for survival were slim.


	16. Chapter 16: Cleansing

**A/N: Warning: Some smut ahead. **Unfortunately, I still do not have the rights to the "High School Musical" franchise, but I can hope, damn it! 

Chapter 16: Cleansing

After taking Jimmie home, Troy drove Ryan to the Bolton family's place of residence, attempting to keep conversation going with the blond as to stave off his self-depreciating internal musings. "No one else will be home. Dad said he's taking mom out to dinner and a movie." He looked at the boy, awaiting a nod, a sigh, any sign of recognition. "We'll be able to do whatever we want. We can shatter the cosmic sound barrier if we want to." The occupant of the passenger seat met his words with a blank stare.

"I'm so filthy," Ryan murmured, his blue eyes hollow and haunted.

Troy lead Ryan up the stairs to the bathroom on the second floor. He unbuttoned the boy's dress shirt and tossed it to the floor. He removed the fedora as well. Seeing the t-shirt concealing the performer's creamy ivory flesh, he ordered him leniently, "Lift up your arms."

Ryan obeyed, allowing the removal of the garment. He watched the brunette take the ends of his own shirt and begin lifting it off over his head. "What are you doing?"

"You say you're filthy," Troy answered, undoing the fly of his jeans and working them down his hips and well-sculpted thighs. "So I'm going to clean you."

Ryan blinked, but said nothing as he slid the white leather of his belt out of its metal buckle. Within moments, he and Troy were standing there, au natural, staring at one another.

Being the gentlemen he was, Troy slid back the glass door of the shower. Gesturing with his head, he communicated, "After you."

Flattered by such courtesy, a now more aware than he was previously Ryan stepped into the shower. He never imagined in even his wildest and most obscene fantasies that he would find himself showering in the Boltons' home facilities, least of all with their golden boy son. But he took this stroke of fortune for all that it was and as Troy turned the water on, he let the moisture seep over his pale flesh, through it, cleansing him, rinsing away the filth of his deed.

Behind him, he could feel Troy's firm chest and abdomen and his breath, so hot, so close, it caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up in pleasure. Soap lathered hands ran up and down his front side, stopping a horse-hair's width away from his groin every time.

"Does that feel good?" Troy breathed.

"Yes." Taking hold of the brunette's hand, Ryan guided the appendage to his naval and his chest.

Letting out a faint groan, Troy pressed in. "Here?'

"Mm," Ryan sighed his affirmation, closing his eyes in pleasure as the sex god traced his nipple. His manhood gave a twitch. Water ran over his body and his blood ran south of the border. "Mmph!" He bit his lip as Troy flicked the bud of his nipple with his thumb. _That feels sooo gooood. _"So… good…" He purred aloud. When he opened his eyes, there were no blue orbs in a tanned visage staring back at him, darkened and contracted, smoldering with lust. 'Troy… I want to see you…"

Water sloshed against their ankles as Troy came around to face him. The athlete's shaggy mop was slick and sodden, his side-swept bangs dripping with excess moisture. They did not, however, conceal his eyes, which, just as Ryan had predicted, were full of lust.

Staring into Troy's flushed face, Ryan absolved to give himself a reason for being there. Leaning forward, he kissed the athlete's heated cheek, nibbling along his jaw. He could feel the boy's facial muscles twitch as he let out a groan. "Mm…" Brushing aside a clump of soft, wet hair, he nibbled gently at Troy's earlobe, feeling his member tighten as the divine being's breath rate accelerated. He could tell he had discovered a weakness. "Aahh!" Troy gasped, his hand seizing the smaller boy and pulling him in by the nape of his neck.

As Ryan continued to nibble, Troy's strong appendage massaged his neck, working its way on down his body. A moan ascending from his chest, the blond pressed his lust against his love's, a cry escaping him from the electric pulse of the contact. "So hot!... Aah!" His voice heightened to a yelp. "Aah, Troy!"

Feeling the hot, sweet breath of the theater king on his neck and the side of his face, Troy's cock rose to the occasion and both of them emitted throaty grunts and growls.

"I want to fuck you senseless. Purge you…" Troy growled, the look in his eyes raw and untamed, tempered only by his love for the other male.

Meeting this gaze, his own eyes narrowed with primitive passion, Ryan felt an overwhelming need swell on the inside of him. _I need him. I'll burst. I'm so dirty. I need Troy. I _need_ him. His perfection. … So much. I need him so badly! _

"Do it," he demanded, growling into the god-like boy's ear. His tone was animalistic, his arousal throbbing with unmasked desire. "Sanitize me. Relieve me. _Fuck-me_."

With a cry of eager fervence, Troy whipped the blond around and entered him. Ryan talking dirty did things to him. Unbelievable things.

"Aah!" Ryan exclaimed sharply, bracing himself against the tile wall adjacent to where they stood. Heat filled him, pooling out from the area Troy's manhood had entered him. _Troy's perfect, perfect… _His thoughts were cut off as another exclamation erupted from within him. "Troy! Ohhh, God, Troooy!"

"Aagh! Yes! Ryan! Ryan!" Troy called out. He clung to the pale boy's strong pelvis in order to keep both himself and his blond love steady as they lost control. His manhood was enveloped in the hot velvet of Ryan Evans. One of his hands summoned the courage to sneak around to the front of his Ryan and grip the base of the boy's turgid and fiery cock. "You are so _big_…!" He admonished.

"Mmph!" Ryan bit back a moan.

"You're so _beauuutiful_…!" The basketball god continued to shower his lover with praise, pumping his arousal every time he hit his prostate, making both Ryan and himself scream with intense ecstasy.

"Oh, Troy! So good… Yes! Troy!"

"Ryan! Oh fuck!... Yes! Yes!"

Water ran down their bodies and a searing white heat engulfed them, cleansing Ryan of the filth of the event that had transpired with the other boy. It was just like his fantasy of showering with Troy, only a thousand times better. It was just himself and Troy. Himself, Troy and the most absolutely magnificent and lucid feeling that had ever been his to experience. Everything, his sanity, his negativity, his self-abhor, his disease, was being burned out of him. "Troy!" He yelped. "Ohhh Troooy…! It's sooo-!"

"Aah!" Toy yelled out. His hips twitched fiercely as he felt himself nearing climax. "R-Ryan… I-!" another cry swelled in his chest, cutting him off. "Ohhhh god!"

Ryan already knew what he meant to say, and he clung to the boy's inner thighs, encouraging him to bring both of them through. Screaming one another's names, the pair came hard, the round cheeks of the blond performer's hindquarters clenching around the manhood of the golden boy as the heat of his flavor filled him.

Panting, Troy pulled out, allowing a weak-kneed Ryan to collapse against him. The spray washed away all visible evidence of their intimate encounter.

After a moment necessary to reclaim control of his breathing, Ryan told Troy, "You are so _amazing. _Amazing…" His voice was a low, contented purr.

The brunette smiled. "And so are you, baby," he murmured, nuzzling his boyfriend's blond hair and rubbing his lean shoulder. Remembering the look of utter devastation that had been on his angel's porcelain face, he wanted to be sure that he had vanquished any feelings that would bring about such an expression. "How are you feeling?"

The deadweight of guilt had been lifted off of Ryan's chest. He could feel the metamorphose as it occurred. Kissing his Troy on the neck, he informed the tall virile brunette, "Clean." He smiled. "I'm clean, thanks to you."

**A/N: Next Chapter Preview: **The boys are outed in front of the entire school. An original song by yours truly is featured, and one character summons up the strength to defend what is most important to them. Stay tuned. 


	17. Chapter 17: Sensationalism

**A/N: Warnings: Homophobic slurs **This story contains slash, as you've all been aware of since the plot summary. If the idea of two boys combating homophobia in their school to be together makes your boat sink, please look up something else to entertain your foolishly ideal fantasies. 

**Disclaimer: **Although it prominently dominates my thoughts, my writing and my artwork, I do not own anything pertaining to the colorful and vibrant universe of HSM. The original idea is © of Peter Barosschini and all other rights belong to Disney. I DO however own anything unrecognizable, including the song "Sensationalistic Vanity Affair". Now onward!

Chapter 17: Sensationalism

Back in school, there was a shift in the overall atmosphere. Although Troy and Ryan had made no attempts to conceal their intimate relationship from their schoolmates, they weren't excessively flaunting it either. Still, it seemed as though those who wished them well and those whom bore ill tidings alike had caught wind of something non-conformist in the social ladder. 

As Troy and Ryan strolled through the hallways that visibly displayed school spirit through the use of red and white décor, both of them could hear the all too audible whispers of their peers.

"What's up with Bolton? Why's he been hangin' out with Evans?"

"Which one?"

"The fag."

"Maybe Evans got him to suck his dick."

"Yeah, maybe the fag's sucking Troy's dick."

"Sucking who?"

"I heard Bolton's a fairy."

"Oh no, not Troy!"

"Oh look, here they come."

Noticing the unwanted attention they were getting, Troy's brows furrowed. "What the fuck is their problem?'

Ryan gave the inexperienced boy a look of apprehension. "Welcome to my life. If you want to date someone that has the same thing in their pants as you, this is generally the kind of degrading ignorance that you have to put up with."

Revulsion hardened golden boy's tanned visage. "They treat you like this… and no one does anything?"

Ryan averted his gaze, not wanting to burden his lover with the knowledge of the sob story of his life. "It's a difficult subject for most people to deal with, Troy. Adults aren't always sure how to go about punishing the assailants and protecting the victims. And…" He looked up, sniggers meeting the simple action. He tossed a glare in the direction the sound originated from and feeling heat graze the top of his hat adorned head, he turned to find Troy doing the same to the offender. There was a momentary break in the whispering before it started up once more. Speaking from personal experience, Ryan made sure to lower his voice so he was assured that Troy and Troy alone heard his words. "Sometimes, the teachers can be as bad as the students."

Troy swallowed nervously. His father, East High basketball coach and physical education instructor Jack Bolton had yet to learn of his son's current relationship and sexuality. _What if he's one of those teachers? What if he disowns me when he finds out?_

Spotting a look of steadily building dread on his lover's face, Ryan knew he had to get the boy's mind off of the manner in which his father would handle the corruption of his son, the sole successor to the Bolton legacy. Even though he himself was dreading it. "Troy?" He called gently.

"Yes?" The light, even voice always had a way of comforting Troy, even when all others failed to do so.

Ryan took the boy's larger hand into his own once more. He managed a reassuring smile even in light of the bleak situation. _I need to be there for Troy. After all that he's done for me, I owe him that much. _"When the time comes, and you're ready to tell him, I'll be right there with you, okay?"

Troy smiled in return. "Thank you, Ry. That means the world to me."

Ryan's heart was lighter than air. Squeezing one another's hands, they continued down the hallways ignoring the whispers their interaction had earned.

"Did you see that?" A boy hissed.

"It's true!" A massive male stated.

"Oh no!" The cheerleaders chorused in unison.

"Troy Bolton likes dick!"

"Bolton and the Evans fag!"

"East High's golden boy!" One kid jeered.

"Yeah, more like East High's golden cocksucker!"

"That Evans is such a slut!" A girl whispered to one of her friends.

"He's turned Troy into a fag!" Her friend lamented.

The two males that were the topic of heated discussion entered homeroom and got into their seats. Even there they could not escape the whispers, stares and flying rumors of their classmates.

Troy looked to Chad for justification. His bushy-haired friend could only give him a helpless shrug.

Ryan scanned for Gabriella and when he caught her gaze, he noted a triumphant, spiteful gleam in her pools of liquid brown. Kelsi and Martha Cox, the brainiac with a flair for busting a move to hip-hop gave him sympathetic looks, but neither was willing to betray their friendship with the "It" girl.

Scowling, Ryan informed Troy, "It looks like we know who to thank for all of this."

Rage darkened Troy's features. "That miserable little fuck-!" He was cut off by the sharp tolling of the bell and the entrance of Ms. Darbus, accentuated by her tossing one of her scarves over her shoulder. Her arrival silenced most of the chatter, but there were a few who missed the memo.

"I think it's time for all of this gossip to end," the woman chided, disdain evident in her voice. "Class _has_ started and it's quite rude to discuss Mr. Evans and Mr. Bolton's private lives when they can hear what you're saying."

There was a chuckle but whoever let it slip was instantly shushed by a glare from the drama teacher.

Ryan stared at his sister's head in front of him, unnerved to find the girl uncharacteristically stoic. _Usually when there's gossip, she's right there in the middle of it, either spreading the rumor or adding to it. Unlike me, she _lives_ for sensationalism. This is so unlike her and it's starting to eat at me. _In his mind, thoughts began to form. And with his theatrical background, the thoughts became words, and the words, lyrics. Lyrics capable of expressing everything he felt at the moment.

_Riddle me this_

_ When the direction of your life goes awry_

_ And people begin to notice the invisible_

_ Boy_

_ Is it so wrong to ponder why?_

Troy, rankled by the attitudes that had been displayed but for the moment unable to do anything in his own defense or in Ryan's vented his frustrations, forcing himself to focus on the wall before him in place of the solution that evaded his grasp.

_Popularity, like all good things_

_ Is not without its quirks_

_ The object of the worship's independence_

_ Is met with shirks_

Meeting one another's gaze, Troy and Ryan drew strength and resolve. Their relationship was going to put the social ladder and its ranks in shambles. It was a union that was dividing the school, pitting friends and partners with contrasting viewpoints against one another.

As the pair left the classroom, the whispering crescendoed, accompanied by sniggers as people strode past, their eyes glued to the school newspaper.

"Troy! Ryan!" A female voice called. Turning in the direction of the sound, the two males found an uncharacteristically frantic Taylor McKessie _running_ toward them, her brown eyes stretched wide. "I'm so sorry!" She blurted hastily.

"About what?" Troy's brows knitted into a scowl. Ryan could read anger, frustration and weakness rolling off of him.

"The paper!" Taylor had never been one for sugarcoating things. "Gabriella and her boyfriend Chace snuck the article in and I didn't realize it until the papers were being delivered." She held out her hand, offering a paper as proof of her words.

Troy stared at the headline, and Ryan could feel his blood run cold. With a look of dismay, he read the headline to himself.

"**East High Golden Boy Comes Out Of Closet."**

The subtitle beneath it was just as horrific: "_Troy Bolton dumps girlfriend and hooks up with Ryan Evans."_

A black and white picture of Troy dominated the front page, the boy's eyes averted from the camera making the shot candid. A smaller, less likely to seize attention picture of Ryan in a sultry pose from one of his dance routines served as a break between sections of the article, which spanned a good three pages. Rage boiled, Fire in the pit of Ryan' stomach. He clenched his fists until his nails made dents on his palms, his body shaking with outrage. _How dare she have the fucking nerve to do this to Troy? _His pink upper-lip pulled back from his glistening white teeth, curling into a snarl of defiance against what Fate was dishing out. He was apoplectic; teetering on the brink of unleashing his feelings in a bout of fury that would make his sister's icy wrath seems as docile as a rabbit.

"What's his deal?' A boy with dark hair asked, his upper-lip curled into a hideous sneer.

A red haze took form before Ryan's eyes. The soft sky color hardened into piercing frightening ice.

"What's the matter with your fag, Bolton, did you break him?"

He wasn't sure who the speaker was, he couldn't pinpoint him, but Ryan could hear Troy beside him.

"He's pissed at you people, and I share the feeling!"

"Oooh…" Someone called mockingly, attempting to goad the golden boy with his pristine reputation into a fight. Well, it had been pristine up until his ex-girlfriend had marred it irreparably with the story in the school paper, detailing how he had "savagely assaulted" her through the use of degrading profanities and left her crying in the crowded mall, people staring at her tear-stained cheeks.

The account was inaccurate, depicting Gabriella, the cheat, the unfaithful one in a heroic light, turning to Chace for comfort after enduring such "brutality".

_And people call Sharpay a drama queen. _Troy thought, wrinkling his nose with repulsion. He had always thought of Gabriella as a sweet, funny, considerate person. That view of her had been shattered and she could only hold herself accountable.

Ryan had not been able to read any further before his contempt began to build to at a rate faster than his moderation techniques could control. _Bullshit! Complete fucking bullshit! _These thoughts fed the fire of his rage, letting it consume him, the hungrily lapping flames slowly devouring him form the inside out.

"Hey Bolton, you do any ass pounding lately?" A male voice called out.

_Stop it. Stop it!_

"I'd be scared to join the basketball team if I were you! Daddy's little queer might be staring at your dick in the shower."

"It's not even like that!" Troy protested, only to be drowned out by an obnoxious voice that shouted:

"Don't drop the soap," soliciting laughter from the crowd that had gathered in prospect of a fight. The energy level was high, as all of them were jittery. They were itching for a confrontation, the electric pulses of their excitement lacing the air.

The last comment was all that was needed to push the fury and indignation of Ryan Evans over the edge. Anger surged through him, boiling in his chest. A cry rose up in his throat. No longer would he subject Troy or himself to this harassment. Now, he would voice his disapproval. The cry swelled, finally bursting out of him with harsh resonance as it filled the hallways. He spoke on behalf of the oppressed everywhere. "Shut the fuck up! What we do is none of your fucking business! Just leave us alone!" He glowered with undisguised abhor at the crowd that had formed.

His outburst had stunned them all into silence. Even the most brash and pig-headed were unable to recover their tongues.

With a last scathing glare, Ryan looked back to Troy and Taylor. Troy's blue eyes were glowing with pride and admiration. Taylor's expression was one of surprise. Chad, Kelsi, Martha, Jason and Zeke stared in awe at the lesser twin.

Troy stepped forward, shattering the silence. "Come on baby." He slid an arm around Ryan's shoulders, steering him away.

The very moment the golden boy's appendage made contact with his clothed body, Ryan felt his anger begin to ebb away. He felt so weak around Troy. He was so empowered. His resolve crumbled under that intense ocean colored gaze and warm strong touch. Yet, he drew resolve from them in exactly the same way. He wanted to do the same for Troy, this god on earth, and glancing at him, he wondered if he did so.

Of course, whether he did or not would become no one's business other than their own.

_Whispers in the hall_

_ Stares every time you walk by_

_ The kind of attention that makes you want_

_ To curl up and die_

Ryan's voice continued with the solo, letting out a dry, humorless laugh. "Ha! The type of fame that everyone wants!"

As he and Troy continued en route to class, they passed Sharpay. Ryan caught her eyes as she had her head raised as always. Once again, he could detect something amiss with his sister. He searched her eyes in hope of uncovering some sort of knowledge about her stance in the situation. She was keeping her expression blank and unreadable.

Heat searing the side of his face, he turned to see Try glaring at the elder twin.

Troy's voice joined his in the chorus of their self-expressive song.

_You turn your head away_

_ And so do the people designated to care_

_ So it goes in the game of love_

_ Detachment, deceit_

_ It's a sensationalistic _

_ Vanity affair_

**A/N: **Reviews please?


	18. Chapter 18: Confrontation

Chapter 18: Confrontation

Troy and Ryan re-entered the exquisite mansion of the Evans family. For a moment, they sat in silence, reminiscing on the day's events.

"Well at least the whole school isn't against us," Troy offered, attempting to administer a ray of hope to the dismal situation.

"Yeah." Ryan managed an uneasy smile. They weren't quite sure how it happened, but an instant later, they were kissing violently at one another, gnashing teeth, bruising lips and tongues, infiltrating them in pursuit of solace in the face of the world crumbling around them. "We have…" the blond panted out between kisses on his lips and neck, " a small time window before Shar gets home."

"Mmm…" Troy murmured interestedly.

"I intend… to take…" A gasp escaped him as Troy began to grind against him, nibbling sloppily at his neck. The sloppiness was so unbelievably arousing. His loins began to swell with heat and longing. "… Full advantage of it," he growled.

"My thoughts exactly," Troy smiled.

Troy bit his lip, a trait he had picked up from Ryan, whose luscious ruby red lower lip bore bruises from all of the times he had clamped his mouth shut to contain an outcry when secrecy was required with their intimacy. At the moment the petite actor had the athlete's pants pooled about his ankles and with his breath ghosting over the brunette's sculpted abdomen, he began stroking his love's deep brown pubes.

Yes, Troy was smaller that him, but still larger than average, and neither of them minded, for the brunette's bedside prowess was as immaculate as his appearance. Besides, it's not the size that counts in the end, but what you do with it.

A loud groan came from the jock, and tangling his fingers in tufts of Ryan's gelled blond locks, he coaxed him in, and the performer's tongue flicked over the head of the boy's length.

Troy's hips shuddered with delight as the hot moist cavern of the Evans boy's sensual mouth swallowed his manhood. "Ah! Fuck, Ryan! Yes!"

Ryan's slender hands massaged his lover's balls, exhibiting a talent all their own as his tongue worked its magic.

Moan after moan erupted form the basketball god until he finally tilted Ryan's chin up toward him and locked lips with him ravenously, tasting himself on the boy's cherry mouth.

Ryan helped Troy undo the jeans that bound and constricted his needy, attention seeking cock. As soon as his pants were down, he braced himself as the divine being entered him. And it was beautiful. They screamed each other's names along with obscenities. Every time the golden boy hit his prostate, Ryan felt a white heat sear across the length of his entire body. They were two lost boys whose union was destroying everything that they recognized as familiar. The daily routine had died.

And as both of them would quickly attest, it was so fucking beautiful.

Sharpay was waiting for them when they descended the stairs. She fixed both of them in a stare that filled her twin brother with irrational fear. She was staring at them as if they were complete strangers rather than her brother and closest friend and his boyfriend. "I didn't know you were gay, Troy."

Troy gave Ryan a sidelong look. "I just found out myself not too long ago."

_Why is she giving us the third degree now? _The male twin pondered to himself desperately.

"Did he tell you about what happened over the summer?"

"I did," Ryan spoke up, his voice stronger than he felt.

Sharpay's brown eyes stared right through him as if he was insubstantial. She spoke only to Troy once again. "Are you sure you're comfortable dating him?"

Irked with the manner the older twin ignored her brother, Troy's voice audibly hardened. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"He's a whore," the blonde female answered flatly.

Troy's blood boiled. "No," he asserted, "he isn't."

"He must not have told you the entire story then." Sharpay's eyes glittered dangerously and this time, Zeke wasn't there to restrain her. "This little slut had the _nerve_ to betray me completely and then lie to me about it!" With every word, her voice rose a decibel until she was practically shrieking at the pair of males. "He doesn't deserve anything! _Anything _you hear me?"

_How can we not? _Troy sized her up with a formidable glare. Glancing at Ryan, he found the meeker twin to be the picture of terror and anguish. The petite blond male's pale face blanched further as wave after wave of suffocating emotion ripped relentlessly through him.

_Why won't she believe me? Why can't she believe me? I didn't do anything! I'm her brother, her _twin _brother! Why doesn't she know that I would never intentionally hurt her? …. _His head and chest burned, his vision swimming. _It's my fault… All my fault… so filthy… Shar…! Oh God, Troy! …I can't… I can't! …_

Seeing the beautiful boy, the fallen angel in such a state, Troy's heart wrenched in pity and anger that boiled his innards, churning deep within his stomach. He wrapped an arm around Ryan, pulling the boy against him. "I'm here, baby," he whispered. "Come on, come on. Deep breaths. Breathe." Ryan's form was still, but for his shuddering chest. His blue eyes were glazed over and unresponsive. Kissing the boy's perspiration damp temple, Troy directed his resignation at his beloved's sister, fury heaving his chest and causing his voice to shake unsteadily. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Sharpay? He's your goddamn twin brother! How does your conscience let you get away with treating him like shit? You have a _complete _disregard for him when he would give his fucking life for you! Do you know that he's been haunted by that incident ever since it happened?"

Sharpay gaped, seething at the audacity of the golden boy to address her in such a manner. She said nothing, however, and lamely lowered her gaze to the floor.

Troy, on the other hand, was both livid and relentless. He had a reputation for being stubborn and there was no way he was backing down now. _Sharpay has to know what she's put him through. She's going to suffer with a guilty conscience just like Ryan did day after day! _"All he wants is for you to forgive! That's all he fucking wants from you! He wants the two of you to laugh and smile and sing and shop and be siblings again!" His heart ached as he remembered the sadness in Ryan's eyes when his boyfriend had relayed all of these wishes to him.

"I know we can never be the same as we were before… but I still wish that she would _look _at me." He had looked into Troy's eyes, and the brunette was crushed to see utter devastation in the depths of the fragile boy's sky blue orbs.

Sweeping Ryan up, he prepared to carry the actor bridal style back to his sleeping quarters. "He wants you to _look _at him again," Troy voiced, the flames of his anger being gradually extinguished as weariness filled him. "But you can't even give him that, can you?" He gave the girl a last embittered stare, disgusted that she couldn't even meet his eyes, then turned and promptly carried her brother up the stairs.

**A/N: **I'd like to thank all of my readers and reviewers! I hope you guys will continue to give me your support throughout this story. Next Chapter: The parents at last make their way onto the scene. Stay tuned. 


	19. Chapter 19: Reunited

Chapter 19: Reunited

_There were clear spaces in the fog that had dominated Ryan's mind, and through these "windows" as he dubbed them, he was bale to make out bits and pieces of what Troy had said while his mind, not his brunette love's had been M.I.A._

_ "What the fuck is wrong with you, Sharpay? He's your goddamn twin brother! …Treating him like shit? …. He would give his fucking life for you! …Come on… Deep breathes… _Breathe.

He awoke, finding himself curled upon his bed; Troy's soundly sleeping form sprawled out next to him. Looking at the other male, his bosom swelled with happiness, gratitude and love. Gently, he brushed away several strands of brown shot through with copper from where they fell along the boy's brow and kissed him softly. "Thank you, Troy!" He choked out in a whisper. "Thank you for doing what I could not… At least, not yet, I can't."

As he settled himself, snuggling into his lover's arms, there was a gentle rapping on his bedroom door. "Ducky, darling?"

Only one person ever called him "Ducky" and spoke so softly to him. "M-Mom?" He called out cautiously, daring to hope.

"May I come in, dear?"

"Yes, it's unlocked." He kept his voice low so as not to disturb Troy whom he could easily tell was worn out by the stress of the day and his confrontation with the "Ice Queen", as Sharpay's classmates had come to call her.

Mrs. Evans entered her son's bedroom for the first time in over a month.

Ryan could read guilt and sadness in his mother's blue eyes. _No. I don't want to see you upset, mom. Talk to me. Smile. Don't be upset. I'm not worth it. _

"I heard you're dating Troy," Derby Evans ventured.

"Yeah," Ryan smiled.

She made sure to keep her voice low as well. She could tell that Troy and her son were both completely drained. _The poor dears, _her maternal instincts fretted. "He's a lovely boy." She returned the smile. "Does he make you happy, dear?"

Her son's blue eyes sparkled as they hadn't in so long. She missed that sparkle. "More than I can say."

Derby was filled with more bliss than she could ever express. And Ryan could perceive this. She wanted to set things right. She wanted to apologize for all of the pain and abuse her son had suffered because of her neglect. She wanted to shower Troy with endless gratitude for intervening when he did. The boy was a godsend, an angel.

Ryan didn't want to hear an apology. His nerves were shot. He had experienced every emotion known to mankind in less than ten hours. He didn't _want _to relive the summer through his mother's unknowing words. Instead, he lightly kissed the end of his index finger.

Seeing this familiar ritual, Mrs. Evans took the invitation and kissed her own finger, tears welling in her eyes.

Ryan touched his finger to his mother's and she pulled him into a moist-eyed hug.

"I missed you, dear."

"I missed you, too, mom."

A sobbing mother held her son, shedding tears of sadness. And when she finished, she shed fresh tears of joy for her son's redemption of her. Troy awoke, disoriented and his hair mussed from slumber and she pulled him into the embrace as well.

The brunette male caught the blond's eye and the two of them shared a smile. Ryan's mother was back in his life and she accepted his relationship. His heart full, he luxuriated in the closeness and warmth of his mother and his lover's bodies.

There was closure at last.

Troy entered Ryan, licking a hot trail down his ear and neck. In a state of perfect sexual nirvana, the blond rode his lover's length. After both of them reached climax simultaneously, muffling their orgasms with a kiss, Ryan broke off and nibbled tenderly at Troy's jaw line. "Call me inexperienced, but you're positively brilliant at this," he praised.

Flushed, the brunette grinned, "I just let my instincts take over."

"You've got _damn_ good instincts," Ryan growled suggestively, a smile decorating his lips. Obviously candy pink was the color of the day.

"I pride myself on that fact," Troy remarked, groping his boyfriend's pert butt.

"Oh!" The blond exclaimed. "I can see why," he purred, "Your instincts have given you- Mmm!- _amazing _talents."

Troy continued to squeeze exceptionally round, luscious ass, feeling a new wave of arousal churning in his stomach. "Amazing, huh?" He pressed himself to the boy's back, his blood surging to his member.

Feeling heat emanating from the muscle that dug into his backside, Ryan let out a gasp. "Mmm… Trooooy!"

Reaching around the slender boy to his front side, Troy reached up underneath Ryan's midnight blue dress shirt and teased his pink nipples.

"Yes!" Ryan cried. He pressed his rump to the tent in his partner's boxers.

"Does that feel good?" Troy prompted in a syrupy tone.

Ryan bucked his hips. "Aah! Yes! Ohhhh…!" Perhaps he was a hedonist. All he knew for sure was that Troy's touch, the touch of the one he loved, drove him insane.

"You like that?"

"Hell yes I do!" Ryan's voice was strained.

Seizing the basketball god's hand, the theater king guided it towards his bulge which was tight, hard and aching with sharp need.

Both of them emitted a simultaneous outcry, but the school was next to empty. No one could hear them, so there was no fear of discovery. They could be as uninhibited and adult as their hearts and hormones desired.

"I'm going to squeeze you, is that okay?"

_As if I would deny you anything! _Ryan had Goosebumps and his arousal ached fiercely just thinking about it. "Yes, by all means! Go for it, Troy!"

That being all of the encouragement he needed, Troy groped the stiffened muscle through the fabric that just _barely _concealed it. He set up a rhythm, their breaths coming at a short, rapid staccato pace as sounds of pleasure laced the air.

"Yeah, go for it, Troy!" A third male voice joined theirs.

Stunned, the intimately joined pair froze.

Troy recognized the voice for it had called out drills to him everyday of his life. "_Dad_?" He choked out, incredulous at seeing his father and coach standing there, his temperament unaffected by the situation.

Ryan took on the deer-in-the-headlights look, perturbed not for himself, but for Troy. However, something told him that reprimanding and scolding his son for engaging in nipple play and stimulation of the genitals of another male was the farthest thing from the senior Bolton's mind.

As Troy gaped at his father, Jack told his boy, "Close your mouth, Troy."

Dumbfounded, Troy struggled to speak, floundering.

Ryan did what he could and straightened himself out before doing the same with his sex god lover and at last taking his hand to provide comfort and reassurance. _I'm here, love. I'm here. _

"What's the matter, Troy? Cat got your tongue?" Jack Bolton grinned.

Finding his voice once more, Troy asked, "Aren't you… aren't you…?"

"_Mad_? No way."

Troy and Ryan glanced at one another, their expressions reflecting the same thing; _shock. _

"What did you really expect me to do?" The elder Bolton continued. "Kick your ass for being brave and falling in love and then tell the Evans boy that he can't see you anymore?"

"No. Of- Of course not! I'm just surprised that you're taking this so well, dad." Troy managed a half smile.

Ryan was nearly convinced that his heart was going to explode and he was going to require resuscitation.

"You know I'm all for whatever makes you happy. I could careless if you were dating a Norwegian prostitute. As long as-"

"Ryan," Troy chipped in.

"As long as Ryan makes you happy, he's part of the family."

Jack couldn't help but feel a rush of happiness as a genuine smile broke out on his son's face, which Ryan amply returned. He and his wife, Lucille had always known that Gabriella wasn't right for Troy. They had been waiting for their son to ditch the succubus and find someone that could make him happy and would love him for all his quirks as well as his exterior. And after overhearing Ryan's defense in the hallway the day before when that crock of lies was printed in the school paper, he knew right then and there that his impulsive son had made the right choice. "Just clean up when you're done."

Troy blushed furiously, humiliated at the innuendo. "Dad!" He exclaimed, his cry meeting his father's unresponsive back as the senior Bolton walked away.

Although blush dusted Ryan's fair cheeks as well, his smile had not faded. He was overflowing, bursting at the seams with joy.

"What?" Troy raised an eyebrow.

Ryan didn't answer him either. Instead, he pulled him into a kiss, the entrance of his tongue gladly received. Grinning to himself, Troy realized that he didn't mind the lack of an answer. After all, it would be quite difficult for Ryan to talk when his tongue was "tied up".


	20. Chapter 20: Dinner

Chapter 20: Dinner

The ball swiveled on the rim, wobbling uncertainly.

Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth watched with a sort of fascination that was acquired after years of playing the sport. There was a certain thrill of anticipation that came with wondering whether or not it would fall through the hoop or simply fall through. As Coach Bolton had continually drilled into their minds, "Once it's out of your hands, it's out of your hands."

Jason Cross and Zeke Baylor watched as well, sending up a fervent prayer that the ball would drop out of its rotation and not into the net. Troy and Chad had enough victories under their belts to boast about. Underneath their competitive sides, they were still friends of the golden boy and hoped that scoring a shot would save him from sinking into depression.

Earlier that day, Chad had shared words with a fellow student that had pushed Troy into Ryan, the force sending both of them into a row of lockers, then had the unmitigated gall to proclaim, "The fags are getting it on!"

Standing beside the pair when the incident occurred, the curly haired athlete managed to slink ahead and obstruct the perpetrator's path, promising him a mouthful of fist or unwashed gym sock if he summoned up the lack of wit to pull a stunt like that again.

Needless to say, they hadn't any more encounters with the kid, a sophomore that was far too big for his grade and not very bright either. Apparently, gagging on a used, discolored sock reeking of all sorts of Pedi-associated odors didn't take his fancy.

It seemed at last that the ball had made its choice, and as Ryan Evans watched from the bleachers, it was in favor of Troy and Chad. The two athletes slapped each other celebratory high fives, letting out whoops and hollers of victory.

Jason and Zeke shared a look that was simultaneously crestfallen and congratulatory on behalf of the victory of their friends and teammates.

"We'll do better next time, man," the taller athlete assured his stockier companion.

"Yeah." Jason smiled cheerfully as Zeke gave him a pat on the chest.

From his vantage point, Ryan blinked, pretending he hadn't seen the flirtatious gesture. He had to remind himself that the world of athletics was full of intimate and flirty gestures between men that weren't meant to be interpreted as signals of homosexuality.

It was a foreign land to him. All his life he had been ridiculed for being a student of thespianism. _At least in the theater, I can rely on my gaydar. _Not that there were many gay drama students other than himself and Troy, of course, but at least in the hall of the performers, he had the upper hand.

"Ryan!" Troy called, breaking the blond out of his pondering. "Come down here with us!"

"Yeah!" Chad joined in. "It's no fun up there by yourself."

Unable to refuse the invitation, Ryan collected his messenger bag and daintily descended the bleachers. As he reached the last sep, Troy was there and took his hand, assisting him in weight distribution and balance control so gravity would not have the joy of bringing him down on his butt on the polished wood. "Thank you," he gasped breathlessly, shooting his love a look of gratitude.

"Don't mention it." The ends of Troy's mouth turned up into a contagious smile that his counterpart fully reciprocated.

The other three athletes smirked at the P.D.A.

"I never thought Troy would be dating the twin brother of my girl," Zeke said.

"Ryan is a cool guy," Jason put in.

"Yeah," Chad voiced his agreement. "And after that nasty break-up with Gabriella, Ryan's only been a good thing for Troy."

The other two nodded.

Hearing this support, Troy and Ryan exchanged looks of happiness.

"You ready to go, Ry?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah," the blond replied with a half-smile.

Turning to his friends, Troy relayed, "Ryan and I are headin' out."

"Alright! Later dude!" Chad waved a farewell, accompanied by murmurings from the other two athletes. "Just make sure you wait until you're in the car before you start _giving _head!"

Jason and Zeke sniggered and guffawed.

Troy blushed with obvious embarrassment, as did Ryan, and slinging an arm about the smaller boy's shoulder, he lead him out of the gym. Well down the hall, he leaned in and inquired with a hint of nervousness to his inflection, "Do I smell?"

"What?" Ryan's blue eyes widened at the thought of the beautiful boy having a foul odor.

"Like sweat?" Troy's tanned complexion reddened further.

_Of course he would be embarrassed! _Ryan's inner voice chided. _He doesn't want to offend me. _"No!" He assured the other boy. "I would have let you know. I wouldn't let you embarrass yourself by reeking of perspiration and not cluing you in."

This reassurance promptly perked the athlete up. "I knew I could count on you, Ry!" He grinned and Ryan beamed back, his heart mush in the aftermath of the boyish happiness his partner readily displayed.

"Anytime," he remarked quietly.

Troy looked mildly irked as his phone went off; playing a melody that struck a chord in Ryan's heart. "God damn stupid Gabriella," Troy mumbled as he felt his pockets for the cumbersome device. The song was "You Are The Music In Me" a song that Kelsi had written for the "It" couple to sing over summer vacation. Gabriella had had a fondness for fooling about with Troy's phone and programmed it with some very odd ring tones. He had been far too caught up with Ryan to bother himself with changing the tune but made a mental note to do so A.S.A.P. "I'm so sorry, Ryan," he blurted out, knowing how awkward the other male must feel. "This'll just…" He trailed off as his hand closed around the phone and at last extracted it from his rear pocket, an action that couldn't help but snag an interested glance from the blond. "Hello?" Troy inquired, suavely opening his phone and silencing the melody that only peaked his anger and frustrations toward his ex. "Oh, hey mom. What's that? No, we were just leaving-" His voice dropped. "You have to take him out?" He asked flatly.

Ryan tried not to stare as he wondered who or what the "he" in question was. _Troy has no siblings or pets… What could they-?_

"Alright mom." Troy snorted with laughter. "Good luck with that. I will. You too. Bye." He hung up, ending the call and then turned back to the puzzled theater king, running a hand through his hair self-consciously. "That was my mom," he began, warily testing the waters. _ Why can't Ryan and I have normal families? _He pondered in silent exasperation. "We were going to have you over for dinner, but my mom was worried about my dad quote- "making an ass out of himself"-unquote, so they're going out for dinner. Do you still wanna head to my place? Mom started the jambalaya, but I can't cook to save my ass."

"I can cook," Ryan offered.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel like a housewife or anything." In spite of his chivalrous words, Troy was already picturing his boyfriend bustling about in a frilly pink apron that was simply begging for removal and nothing underneath of it.

"My mom and I dappled in the culinary arts. I'm not a professional or anything, but I think I can handle jambalaya."

To say that Troy was pleased at Ryan's confidence would be one hell of an understatement. Smiling, his arm found its way around his lover's shoulder and he led both of them out of the building.

Both boys took a seat on the sofa in the den, carefully transporting their steaming bowl of turkey cabassi jambalaya. Although for the first moment in time immemorial, Ryan found himself with an appetite, he waited patiently for Troy to take the first bite. Loading his fork, the brunette blew on its contents to help lower the temperature.

"It isn't exceedingly spicy," Ryan put in, knowing how sensitive his own taste buds were.

Troy murmured in acknowledgement. Filling his mouth with the flavored meat and rice, he chewed slowly, pensively savoring the meal that Ryan had somehow perfected by lending a hand to its completion.

"How is it?" The blond inquired once the dip of his love's Adam's apple signaled that he had swallowed.

"It's fantastic!" Troy gushed, giving the petite performer a playful nudge, all the while mindful of his fragility. "You never told me you could cook like this."

Ryan blushed prettily. "It's nothing that special."

"You're too modest. I think Zeke has some competition if he wants to be "Top Chef" of East High."

With a grin, Ryan plunged his fork into his own bowl, ecstatic at Troy's praise and even more so that he really had made that tantalized his pallet. One thought lingered at the back of his mind with each bite between the two of them; _if it wasn't for Troy. _


	21. Chapter 21: Profound

Chapter 21: Profound

Troy parked his pick-up truck in the lot of the park. Shifting the gear and turning the key out of the ignition, he turned to Ryan. The temperature had dropped. The seasons were turning and a jacket was now required to abstain immunity against the evening chill.

The blond sported one of his beloved's vinyl EHS windbreakers. Troy wore a thin sweat jacket.

"Are you going to be warm enough?" The athlete prompted.

Flattered at the concern, Ryan replied, his eyelashes fluttering ever-so-slightly, "If worse comes to worse, you can always keep me warm."

Troy smirked at the suggestive undertone, then in chivalrous fashion, let himself out of the car and making his way around the front of the vehicle, held the door open for Ryan. As the smaller boy climbed out, an object that had been lodged beneath the passenger seat came loose with the intention of tripping him. Although it failed to knock him off balance, he did stumble right into Troy's arms. "You all right?" the taller boy asked.

Ryan stared directly into his eyes, moonlight shimmering on the surface of his orbs. "Yes." His voice was hearty in spite of the muscle pounding in his chest.

Troy's heart had skipped a beat as well and he was torn between cursing his hand-me-down relic from an age long passed and thanking it.

- Don't Let Me Drown-

"I never learned how to skip rocks," Ryan relayed. 'My dad and I were never exactly close enough to partake in any boyhood rites of passage."

Mild irritation passed over Troy's face.

To any outsider, Ryan had always supposed his family was picture perfect. Then Troy came along and suddenly his eyes were opened to just how dysfunctional and screwed up his family dynamic truly was. He had re-earned his mother's unconditional love in full, but his father and sister found it much easier to live their lives in denial of his existence. _And it's only because of Troy that mom's back in my life. I owe him everything. _

"I can teach you," Troy said, confidently breaking into his love's thoughts.

Ryan looked on as the virile boy lowered his gaze to the ground and began scanning for a smooth stone. His heart leapt as the brunette's eyes lit up and he knelt down to scoop the stone up.

"_This_," Troy held up his rock, gesturing to it as if he were advertising it on an infomercial, "is the perfect rock-skipping specimen."

Ryan's lips curled upward in amusement. "Smooth, right?"

"_Perfectly _smooth," the brunette embellished. "Feel for yourself."

Reaching out, the blond ran a pale, slender hand over the surface of the rock. Not a jagged edge, not a crack, not a pore was to be found. "It _is _smooth," he marveled.

"Now if you'll take a step back," Troy directed, his inflection still imitating the energetic ones of TV sales people, "I'll show you the proper technique or rock-skipping." He stepped back into the stance of a pitcher. Leaning forward, with a gentle underhand toss, he propelled the rock across the shimmering lake surface, glowing with pride each time it slapped the water and evaded submersion.

Ryan stared in awe as the rock finally sunk halfway out, a smile playing across his luscious pink lips as he took in Troy's gleeful expression. "You're amazing. I'll never be able to do that."

"Oh yes you will." Kneeling, Troy picked up a second smooth stone. "I said I'd teach you and damn skippy I will." He handed the rock to his lover and then strode behind him. "You've got a killer pitching arm, right?"

Ryan let out a modest laugh. "I guess."

"Then this will be nothing for you! It'll be a cakewalk." Troy sidled in close and with gentle but firm touches, guided Ryan's arm backwards.

"I'm not going to be able to do this," the performer fretted.

"Don't doubt yourself," Troy ordered. "You _can _do this and you _will_, Ryan. Bet on it."

Encouraged by his love's certainty and faith, Ryan readied himself and swung his arm forward in a powerful but restricted movement, letting the rock fly free. _I can do it and I will! _The stone skimmed over the surface, leniently slapping the water as Troy's had done. After traveling nearly the equivalent distance of its predecessor, Ryan's rock broke the surface and plunged into the icy lake.

His chest swelling with pride, the petite actor looked to his virile brunette companion. "I did it!" He rejoiced.

"I told you, you could!" Troy grinned, pulling his Ryan into an embrace. "You've gotta have more faith in yourself. You're a beautiful, _amazing_ person." He snuggled into the crook of the blond's neck.

"Only because of you," Ryan whispered, reveling in his lover's strength and tender warmth.

"I've got nothing to do with it," Troy denied. He pulled out of the embrace and held the smaller boy out at arm's length so he could gaze upon him. "_You_ were the one with all the bravery and strength when we were being ridiculed in front of everyone. You were the one that told them off. Not me." The lumination of his eyes emphasized his words.

"I just did what I had to do. I'm not brave. I'm just tired of people hating people like us."

"Ryan." Troy's grip on the blond's delicate hands tightened. He was serious. "You're one of the bravest people I know. Most people couldn't live through the things you do. They couldn't deal with it. But _you're _still here. You've survived, and everyday you're getting stronger."

Ryan stared and he knew somewhere within that those eyes would never lie to him. He knew somewhere within that Troy was right and a part of him wanted to believe him. Another part of him wanted to reject this knowledge for somewhere at the back of his mind, an insidious thought had begun to take form and it lurked there even now. He was scared senseless that this arrangement, this partnership, this _relationship _with Troy was only temporary. That as soon as he was himself once more, the brunette would leave him. _Abandon _him.

And he knew that he wouldn't be able to live without Troy. Without seeing him, touching him, feeling him everyday, he knew that he would be incomplete. That he wouldn't be to function. To live.

And he knew that it was selfish, and he hated himself for feeling this way.

_Troy has his own life. I can't keep selfishly clinging to him and keeping him from living. I'm holding him back. _At last, he spoke, forcing his voice to sound full and certain, to have conviction even though he was weak, empty and doubtful of his own survival skills without the basketball god beside him. "Troy… if you want to leave me when I'm a person again and no longer a fractured and hollow shell, I'll understand. It'll be healthy for you."

Troy met his words with a look of utter bewilderment. "What are you talking about? Ryan, I told you before, I'm not going anywhere. Abandoning you isn't even an option. You're _everything _to me. Yeah, I know that _everyone _says that, but it's true." Drawing the petite male in, he stared steadily into his eyes. "I don't give a shit what other people think. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Troy…" Ryan's heart swelled with so many emotions; bliss, exhilaration, trepidation, anxiety, adulation, love. His breath had been taken from him and he had no inclination to reclaim it. His head spun with the thickness. "Don't be my hero. I'll never forgive myself if you get hurt." The ground lurched beneath his feet, but as Ryan had come to count on, Troy somehow harnessed the ability to counter forces of nature.

His finger curled underneath Ryan's chin. "I won't get hurt." They both knew it was an illogical promise to make for life was both unfair and unpredictable and therefore the chances of such a promise being kept were slim next to nothing.

Under the light of the moon in each other's presence, their shimmering reflections mirroring the enamored states they gave each other, the two lovers felt invincible. They felt that they could take on the cosmos and emerge victorious.

Ryan's hand tangled itself in the locks of silky brown on the nape of Troy's neck. Troy's hands slid down to clench Ryan's thin and sturdy pelvis, tugging somewhat at the denim fabric that covered it. They kissed softly, their lips crashing together harmoniously.

The blond broke off and stared into his love's eyes. "I love you Troy Bolton." His voice lilted softly as he rested his forehead against the taller boy's.

"I love you too, Ryan Evans." Troy's side swept bangs tickled as they brushed against Ryan's forehead.

They held tight to one another rocking gently to a melody all their own as their scents intermingled.

As Ryan put his head contentedly to Troy's broad chest, he could detect vibrations and then Troy's voice rang out, resonating crisply on the peaceful night air.

_You're with me now_

_ Everything's all right_

_ Hold on to me baby, _

_ Hold on tight_

_ 'Cause I'm here _

_ To keep you safe in the night_

_ And even when you wake-_

He moved back to allow the other boy to see the honesty in his gaze.

_I'll still be here_

_ I'm not a dream_

_ I won't disappear_

"_I'm real_," he whispered, pulling the blond back into the embrace.

_And I'll let the nightmares know_

_ You've nothing to fear _As the athlete sang against his boyfriend's ear, the blond suddenly perked up, infected by his lover's contagious smile.

_I can't stop my body _

_ From movin' _he sang

_ Not sure what to do_

_ But to keep dancin' dancin'_

_ To the rhythm of you_

They raised their voices, joining them in prime unison, permitting them to swell exuberantly just as their concupiscence for each other did.

_And we won't stop dancin'_

_ Like the sea that flows on and on_

_ Forever unobstructed_

Troy twirled Ryan and their voices diverged, tenor-baritone harmonizing with alto-tenor:

_By life's course_

_ And let the people stop and stare_

_ No force, no power anywhere_

_ Can make me regret_

_ Taking a chance_

_ Gravity can't reach me_

_ I'm up so high _

_ That sense can't breach me_

_ I'm losing my grip on reality_

_ Baby I can feel the music _

_ When we dance_

Their bodies matched each other in rhythmic, fluid motions and under the moonlight, they became one, dancing out a deft and a beautiful routine that although un-choreographed, would be the envy of any performing pair.

As long as they had each other, they could conquer anything.

**A/N: Next Chapter**: The perspectives of our female antagonists are brought to light and Troy and Ryan get intimate in another odd place. Let me know what you thought of the reprise of "I Can Feel The Music When We Dance". 


	22. Chapter 22: Upstage

**`A/N: **I'm sure it is common knowledge by now that I own nothing in this story other than the OCs, including the despicable Chace Cooper and the plot, which I earnestly hope you guys are all enjoying. By the way, no offense to Michael Jackson is intended by Troy's comment. The man was a talented performer, no one can argue with that, but his nose did fall off of his face while he was in court. 

Chapter 22: Upstage

The six pairs of drama students stood at attention, lined up in a militaristic fashion as their instructor issued her commands, her voice echoing off of the hallowed walls.

"Today you will be selecting the musical piece to accompany your performance."

Jesse Fitz, a tall, lanky boy with shaggy blond hair raised his hand.

Ms. Darbus cut him to the chase, silencing his forming question. "Mr. Fitz, I am well aware that eight of you have been paired with a partner of the same sex. In drama, we are _very _open-minded, and we will abide by the Shakespearean practice of utilizing a male in a place where a female is lacking."

Jesse turned to his partner Jeremy Chen and shrugged helplessly.

Ryan did his best not to appear smug at the boys' looks of exasperation. _It's about time. _For far too long, it seemed, he had been the only of the drama department that would have _preferred _to be partnered with a member of the same sex. Now, Ms. Darbus was enforcing the practice.

He could feel Troy grinning beside him and he knew the brunette's thoughts mirrored his own. They could sing together, be as openly romantic as any heterosexual pair and they would not have to be subjected to ostracizing and demoralizing jeers by the ignoramus percentage of the student body.

"Get to it!" With a wave of her hand, Ms. Darbus ushered her pupils to tend to their task.

Kelsi and her partner Allison stood at the center as the other ten clustered around them. Sharpay pushed her way through, Gabriella on her heels. Her stance suggested that she meant business and her tone emphasized this. "Kelsi, I want first pick. I want to be sure the song is up to par with my standards." She let out a haughty sniff.

Flustered, Kelsi combated the urge to roll her eyes and rifled quickly through her manila folder of songs.

Gabriella smiled duplicitously, laying the charm on thick to negate the harshness of her partner's demand.

Troy wrinkled his nose in disgust. "She's phonier than Michael Jackson's nose. God, I was such an idiot!"

"Don't you blame yourself," Ryan murmured, his gently lilting voice having a sedating effect. "She had everyone fooled. At least you managed to see her for what she really is…"

Troy quirked an eyebrow. "And what would that be other than a manipulative, cheating succubus?"

Ryan casted an icy glare on the dark-haired girl. He scowled, folding his arms over his chest. "A conniving skank."

"Here Sharpay." Keeping her tone carefully polite, the brunette composer relinquished her sheet music to the reigning queen of the theater.

Sharpay looked over the sheet, her brown eyes gleaming and a smirk of satisfaction curling her lips. "Thank you Kelsi," she remarked in a syrupy sweet tone. "This will do."

Gabriella peered over Sharpay's shoulder enthusiastically.

Ryan couldn't help but wonder what the piece was that had thrilled his twin so, but Sharpay was a brick wall these days, her thoughts sealed off to him. Not even "twin telepathy" could give him insight as to what went on behind her mental wall.

As she strode past, mouthing the words to herself, for an instant, she raised her head and her brown eyes met her brother's clear blue. Guilt and terror clouded her gaze and as abruptly as the eye contact had been initiated, she severed it, blanching slightly.

_Why is she unable to face me? _Ryan held in a sigh, feeling Troy's steady touch on his shoulder.

"She'll get over it," the athlete whispered.

Ryan gave a nod, trying to prohibit the blossoming of hope within his chest.

"Troy, Ryan," Kelsi called. "Come on. If you don't choose, you might get stuck with something unflattering."

With a glance at each other, the two boys made their way over to the vertically challenged girl.

9-14

Dear Diary: I apologize for the sporadic updates. I know my entries have been few and far between, and the only justification that I can offer is that a _lot _has happened since I last recorded the events of my life story.

The school now knows of Troy's relationship with me and I haven't seen such division of two opposing sides since the days of the Montagues and the Capulets or the Jets and the Sharks. Thankfully, Troy's "basketball robots", as Sharpay dotingly refers to them, are loyally supporting their former/captain to be. And the members of the drama club have no qualms with their reigning king finding true love in the arms of the basketball god.

It's the ones that are riled by my desecration of their beloved golden boy that make it a point to voice their opposition of our union; the envious fan girls and the brutish Neanderthals that make up a good sixty-five percent of EHS's athletic department. The hatred that was directed toward my openness Before Troy has only increased with the unveiling of our partnership. And I fear for him.

As we selected our song to be sung as part of our drama assignment, Troy and I couldn't help but pay mind to the way that Kelsi became very shy, introverted and easily embarrassed in our presence. At first, we assumed this reaction was once of initial shock, a method of dealing with our relationship going public. However, as she and Martha made a point to proactively show support, thoughts of such a nature were quickly dissuaded.

Troy flashed Kelsi that smile that makes the girls and my fellow gays swoon and liquefies my heart, and her face went red as a beet.

I gave her a polite smile as all principles of etiquette and my proper up bringing would dictate, and I swear that Troy and I could almost _hear_ her heartbeat increase.

As Troy and I made out in the vacant teacher's lounge during free period, we came to the conclusion between our lips smacking beauteously together that Kelsi was in love with us. His lips ghosting down my neck, making me quiver with blissful arousal; Troy murmured that it would be for the best that we not mention our realization to anyone, especially not Jason.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"No good will come of her loving us when we're gaga over each other," I added. Mere friendship between Troy and I would never suffice.

He's the drug that fuels me, that keeps me alive. And without him, I have no reason to exist. Without him, I'm not at all certain that I would exist period…

Troy… my life, my love, my universe.

He is the life-giving blood pulsing through my veins.

- Don't Let Me Drown-

"I hope they aren't serving us S.O.S. for lunch again," Troy remarked, his expression one of mild repulsion. He held his stomach, which loudly churned its agreement.

"Or M.A.M," Ryan contributed.

"'M.A.M.'?" Troy raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued as his lips curled up in amusement.

"Mashed-potatoes And Mucus."

The taller boy let out a loud, genuine laugh that couldn't be compared to the false, hollow laughter of people that don't understand your sense of humor, but intend to be polite anyway.

Ryan never really considered himself a comedian, but Troy somehow always managed to extract humor from his words where it was expected to be found. And seeing his lover throw back his head, a smile cracking on his superbly handsome face, unleashing a wave of boyish laughter always had a way of negating and dissolving all of the negative feelings.

"Ryan."

The blond turned to face his drama teacher. "Yes, Ms. Darbus?"

"Assist Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Mason with storage. They need someone who knows their way around backstage."

"Uh…" Ryan looked to Troy, wary of leaving him. At the athlete's nod, he found no reason to object. "Sure thing." He leaned in and gave Troy a peck on the lips. "Wait for me in my dressing room, okay?" He whispered.

"Alright." Troy felt a faint thrill course through his body as he wondered what sort of splendors awaited him in his lover's dressing room. He needn't ask for directions as the pair of them had changed in one another's company during last year's show.

And the guilt of beating out the blond, a far more refined and talented theater veteran had never entirely left him. He watched Ryan head off, his hips swaying rhythmically with his elegant gait. God he loved him. The way the tight red of his denim trousers accentuated his perfectly round rear. The way his porcelain skin seemed to have been sculpted by the lenient, skillful hands of a high-ranking legion of seraphs. _ The only thing that can best Ryan's looks is his personality. _ _He's more precious than diamonds or gold. _

Sliding the strap of his book bag up his shoulder, Troy set out for his destination. Along the way, he caught sight of Gabriella and Kelsi's partner Allison chatting it up. The dark-haired girl was smiling and batting her eyes as she spoke in a manner that reminded Troy of her flirtatious gestures.

_That wouldn't make any sense_, he chastised himself. _Gabriella likes boys; otherwise she wouldn't have been playing tonsil tennis with Chace. Still, _he reminded himself, _this is high school and anything is possible. If the "almighty Troy Bolton" can play for the other team, who's to say a scholastic decathlon champ can't have a fancy for curtains. _

He blinked, slightly thrown out of whack by where his train of thought had taken him. He slackened his stride, falling back to listen in. He had no intention of feeding the fire. He would leave the gossiping and rumor spreading following their break-up to his ex. It was out of pure curiosity that he stopped to eavesdrop.

"You'll be fine," Gabriella was assuring the girl, flashing her a smile. "I used to have stage fright too, but everyone does. It's natural. And once you're up there, you learn to push the fear aside and just have fun."

Although he rolled his eyes at the pulling of the "stage fright card", which was such a load of horse dung, Troy couldn't help but take notice of the sincerity of Gabriella's reassurance.

"I hope so." Allison sounded as though she was unsure, but feigning a smile anyway.

"Kelsi's great. She helped me out and can do the same for you. And if you still need help dealing with your stage fright, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand."

Gabriella beamed, which caused Allison to smile back. "I'd like that. Thank you."

Shaking his head, Troy continued on his way, trying to put the thought of how close the conversation had sounded to Gabriella asking the girl out far from his mind.

"Hey," Ryan greeted his lover.

"Hey, babe." Troy smiled as the blond crossed to him.

"Miss me?" Ryan inquired, sidling in close.

"Maybe." With a cheeky grin, Troy closed off the distance between them, pulling the svelt performer into an embrace.

"I missed you too." Dropping his voice to a whisper, Ryan used his hip to close the door behind them. He then proceeded in guiding his love to chair before the vanity, relishing the warmth that had been absent when the brunette was not around.

He felt Troy's hands roaming down his backside, exploring the curvature of his spine and the firm pertness of his rump. Troy's pink lips brushed against his neck, making him shiver with delight.

"You smell so good," the brunette admonished.

"It's a new brand of cologne." Ryan let his hands wander intentionally over Troy's chest, his index finger outlining the male's pectorals through the linen of his t-shirt. His lips brushed the taller boy's earlobe as he leaned in. "Wild Cherry Sensation."

"Mmm…" Troy groaned in his throat and it went directly to Ryan's crotch. "I _love _cherry…!" he gasped.

"I know."

-Don't Let Me Drown-

The bell rang to dismiss the students to their next class period.

For a brief instant, Sharpay caught herself looking for her brother and Troy. For a second, hope fluttered in her chest that she could somehow sort things out with her darling brother and apologize for the way she had been horribly mistreating him. Troy was right. Ryan would truly do anything for her and she regarded him as lower than a worm. She treated him like _shit. _For a moment, Sharpay Evans was no longer the "ice queen" or the "drama queen". As she sat there, frantically chewing her thumbnail, she didn't feel like a queen at all. Because a queen wouldn't deny her brother's existence over something so _stupid. _

Guilt and grief clutched her chest in a vise like grip and the emotion broke through, desperation flaring in her brown eyes. Panicked, she looked frantically around, finding neither a black and red fedora adorned head of blond hair nor a shaggy brunette mop anywhere in sight. _I'm sorry, Ryan! I'm so, so sorry!_

Suddenly there were people staring at her, fear and bewilderment in their eyes.

She was an Evans. Evanses don't break down. Evanses don't _loose control. _She tore her thumbnail off and then plastered a confident smile on her face. Her composure returned. Hoisting her purse up on her shoulder. She was Sharpay Evans once more; powerful, beautiful, guileful and a skilled actress.

The moment had passed.

-Life and Death-

Ryan straddled Troy, running a hand up and down the jock's sun-kissed toned torso, his fingers ghosting over the taller boy's compact abdomen. "I can't believe you got such a perfect body from basketball."

"Basketball isn't the only reason," Troy's face was considerably flushed, his hands toying with the hem of Ryan's shirt. He coaxed the blond in close to him, keeping but a centimeter's distance from his lips. His voice dropped to a low huskiness. "You keep me plenty busy as well."

Ryan blushed, his lips curling into a slight smile. He closed off the remaining distance, a mewl of delight rising in his throat as he parted Troy's lips, letting his tongue dance through the brunette boy's mouth.

With a moan, Troy allowed Ryan's tongue to relish its dominance, lavishing in the wondrous sensations the skilled muscle evoked. After several moments, however, he soon took charge.

Ryan pushed his hips forward as his lover's tongue enticed his oral orifice, sending out wave after wave of delicious, stimulating pleasure. He fell back, allowing himself to be dominated by the golden boy, letting Troy's hands find his belt buckle and remove the strip of leather from the loops that held it fastened about his waist. His slender hands effortlessly tugged the shirt off of his lover's head so that they could administer gentle and oh-so-arousing massages in a circular pattern down the god like boy's backside.

As Troy ground his hips into his, he began grinding back, sating himself and his lover with the only method he was versed in.

-Save Me-

"Gabriella, I've got a plan for the Bolton-Evans downfall." Chace Cooper, a tall, lean brunette with golden blond highlights stood beside his girlfriend in the empty chemistry classroom.

Gabriella met her boyfriend's gaze, mentally comparing him to her ex. Chace's hair was always neat, perfectly trimmed and groomed. His eyes were a perplexing green that kept his intentions shrouded in mystery. Troy's blue eyes were portals to the soul within. Where Troy had been respectful, establishing boundaries when he felt they were necessary, Chace had no limits. He would go as far as pleased, unafraid of the consequences.

Troy was thoughtful, considerate and honest. He only said what he meant and when he made a promise, he was bound by impulse to keep it.

With Chace, one could never be entirely certain of what was going on his head.

The biggest difference and the most significant one was that Troy was a good person.

Chace was not. But Chace had been willing to give her what Troy denied her, what the basketball god starved her of; attention and affection. Troy stopped short at calling her "amazing". Chace showered her with compliments, never failing to tell her how beautiful she was or how her eyes sparkled or how her clothing fit her body in all the right places.

She wanted to think of herself as a good person; virtuous, sweet, caring, compassionate.

Yes, Ryan was beautiful. She couldn't deny it. And oh how she _envied_ him for taking Troy from her. But even Ryan had stood up for Troy when she and Chace had printed those lies in the school paper in the hopes of destroying the golden boy and making him regret what he had done. Ryan Evans; the fag, the queer, the flamboyant cock-sucking theater king was a better person than she was.

But did that mean that she believed he deserved Troy? No.

Biting her lip, she turned to face Chace, ready to listen and act out his plan.

Troy and Ryan were good people. Chace was not a good person. And she was his girlfriend. Not Troy's. Not Ryan's, no matter how much she wanted to be. So what did that make her?

-Escape-

Troy thrusted into Ryan, setting a languid pace. Fervent cries erupted from them simultaneously. The blond felt his bare chest brush against the smooth material of the cushioned bench that sat opposite his bench. If he were to peer into the lighted glass surface, he would see himself and Troy reflected there, their reflections indicating that they were at the peak of ecstasy.

"Aah! Aah!" Disembodied groans filled the air, Ryan's subconscious associating them with the entities that emitted them. The experience was too intense; it all seemed surreal. And then the intensity built-up. Ragged gasps filled the room, floating on a stream of desperate cries, proclamations of love and obscenities that would earn any child whom had self-respecting parents a mouthful of soap if they were ever to utter them. Their bodies tensed as they came, muscles relaxing as the white, sticky substance was emptied. Ryan buckled, falling forward onto the bench with Troy hugging himself to his back.

After several moments spent panting to regain breath control, Ryan spoke up. "That was…"

"I liked it…" Troy professed.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted to do that during last year's winter musical," the blond confided, feeling at ease in the other boy's company.

"Well…" Troy shifted his weight, moving so that he was in his love's line of sight, "now neither one of us has to hold back."

_Neither one…? _Ryan sat up, his gaze imploring.

Troy, however, kept quiet, his only response a cheeky grin.

As the meaning of his words sank in, Ryan broke into a smile. "That's right. Neither one of us."

Somewhat drowsily, Troy stumbled over and laid several pillows on the floor, creating a makeshift bed.

The blond felt his eyebrow elevate in inquiry. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a nap." Costumes from preceding shows soon joined the pillows. "Care to join me?" He hadn't bothered to refasten his fly, which Ryan couldn't help but notice.

Significantly drowsy himself, the male twin wouldn't pass up an opportunity to envelope himself in his lover's bodily warmth. With as much grace as one can have after a good forty-five minutes of intense love making and the contented exhaustion that followed it, Ryan lofted himself down and laid himself beside the brunette, leaving his shirt open and his desirables exposed.

Troy wrapped an arm about the boy's trim body and the two of them snuggled into each other, letting the world fall away.

In their dreams, they were onstage, kissing before the eyes of a vast audience that filled the auditorium to capacity, safe in a place where the discrimination, the taunts, the jeers, the malice couldn't reach them.

Somewhere in the distance, a bell rang.

**A/N: Next Chapter: **Troy and Ryan attend a party, attempting to be "normal" teenagers. Please, leave a review and let me know what you thought. 


	23. Chapter 23: Buzz

` Chapter 23: Buzz

"Hey Bolton, you coming to the party tonight?"

"What party?" Troy turned around to face Steve Vinge, a junior who had joined the team last year. Steve and his girlfriend, Hannah, a goth with studs in her left brow were standing at the brunette's locker.

"A couple of guys from last year's team are throwin' a party at Cross's place for the former team and hopefuls for this year's. There'll be drinks and you can bring a date," Steve informed him.

"A date…" Troy knew that Ryan had no pre-planned activities scheduled, so he would look into inviting the blond, but first he had something to be ensured of. "Are the bastards that ostracize Ryan and me going to be there?"

"Nah," Steve assured. "Those guys are dicks. Danforth made sure that they won't get within fifty feet of you and Evans."

Troy felt a rush of exhilaration. Good old Chad. Of course he could depend on his friend to keep the morons away.

"The only thing you'll have to worry about with Evans is everybody else wanting to get their hands on him," Hannah broke in. "He's nearly as hot as you."

Troy was aware of blush dusting his golden complexion. _It's true_, he told himself, _Ryan is fucking hot. _Irresistibly _hot. If I want him so much, it's no small wonder that everybody else wants some of him. _"I'll ask him what he's up to," he informed the pair.

"Great," Hannah smiled and he could see a flash of silver piercing her tongue.

Mentally, he compared it to Ryan and found the boy's tongue to be much more suited to catering to his needs sans ring.

- Don't Let Me Drown-

"Ryan do you drink?"

"I've had the occasional wine. I'm more of a fan of mixed drinks."

"Not a beer fan, huh?"

The blond crinkled his nose; an expression of distaste for the beverage. "I can't even tolerate the smell." He watched as the brunette paused, toying with the formation of the words he meant to speak.

"There's a party tonight. Some of the guys on last year's team are throwing it to usher in this year's. You're allowed to bring a date."

Ryan found himself to be the focus of that intense blue stare, a position he wanted no other to have. The intended question was unnecessary. He was an actor, versed in picking up cues and even more so within the miniscule and ever-so-precious time frame that the two of them had become an "item", he came to know the divine being better than Troy knew himself. "I'll go with you." The words were simple in themselves but as with many they exchanged, significance was never in short supply.

A smile made its way across Troy's face. Instead of expressing thrill for having a date, he thought only of the blond that he loved so profusely and how, not even a month ago, he would still have been lying there, depriving himself of all the necessities for a healthy existence, light, food, and friendly interactions with an organism that was capable of linguistically communing with him. "I'm proud of you," he relayed, his voice soft, almost cooing.

"Really?" Ryan felt his heartbeat slow to a standstill.

Troy stepped into his personal space, their chests touching gently together; black pinstriped silk against red plaid. His hands situated themselves, thumbs threading through the belt loops of the performer's white dress slacks.

-Save Me-

Inebriated teenagers laughed boisterously at nonsense stories and dirty jokes as they stood idly, their drinks in hand.

Chad and Taylor cuddled on the couch, the curly-haired athlete running a hand up and down the girl's shoulder.

Jason and Kelsi sat on chairs, chatting in a diplomatic fashion before the brown-eyed boy leaned in and gave the composer a shy kiss in the cheek.

Troy and Ryan entered, slowly descending the staircase into their friend's basement.

The heads of a nearby group turned.

"Hey Bolton, you made it!" A lean Asian boy exclaimed.

"Troy, man!" Jimmie Zara's earnest tone made itself heard over the music and the general commotion.

"Hey," Troy smiled awkwardly.

Ryan lingered at the boy's side, unsure of what to do. The majority of these people were neither his friends nor his associates. In fact, he was fairly certain a great deal of them were less than pleased by his presence, but as Troy had assured him in the car, "We're partners. Where I go, you go. If they want me to be there then they just have to suck up their attitudes and deal with it. The moment some asshole says or does something I don't like, we're out of there."

As one who was skilled in his profession for all his lack of abilities in the area of parties in a crowd with which he did not mesh, Ryan had an idea of what was required of him. _Show no intimidation. Stay close to Troy. _His peripheral vision spotted a gaggle of girls already so drunk they were finding standing up arduous eyeballing him and giving him that unmistakable look he had seen his sister give Zeke before reaching into his fly. _And whatever you do_, he advised himself, _stay as far away from those girls as humanly possible!_ Blanching slightly, he leaned into Troy, seeking protection from the brunette's sturdy frame. As if psychically connected, Troy's arm wrapped about the blond's shoulders, drawing him in close.

"Hey Chad!" Troy waved at his friend who gave him a nod from the couch.

"Hey Troy!" Jason held up a hand, waving as Kelsi pounced on him, squealing something about brown eyes and then kissing him passionately.

"Alright!" Troy flashed the boy an earnest grin and the thumbs up, proud of his progress.

Ryan was also glad to see Kelsi's affections being directed at the right person. A glance at Troy and the both of them recalled their startling revelation from several days before. A revelation they'd sooner not dwell on.

Zeke and Sharpay were nowhere to be seen and although the blond actor was dismayed, he tried not to let it afflict his mood. _Troy and I are here to have fun. _

Near the middle of the room, Ryan spotted a table of refreshments covered with a tarp of orange vinyl. Troy must have seen it as well, for he whispered, "Let's head over there," and began steering the petite male toward the furnishing and the adolescents clustered around it. Pretzels, nachos and cheese and various flavors of potato chips sat in bright orange plastic bowls on the tabletop, obviously meant to ensure that the beer chuggers would have something with which to fill their stomachs and stave off the effects of full-blown intoxication.

For Ryan, however, it was not intoxication that prioritized consumption of the snack food items.

"What do you want?" Troy's tenor baritone inquired as he picked up two plates and handed one to his lover. "There's pizza too."

Ryan's gaze slid to a stack of cardboard boxes that had evaded his sight upon entry. "Surprise me." His words were accompanied by a weak smile. The prospect of eating all of that junk food and then downing an alcoholic beverage on top of it was already inducing a sensation of nausea.

"Alright. Stay right here."

Ryan waited, trying to fight off the wave of terror that crashed over him as the golden boy left his side. _Calm. Keep clam. Troy will be right back._

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jimmie crossing to his lover and he couldn't help wondering what the sophomore was doing mingling with a crowd of hard-partying, liquor swigging adolescents. _He's hardly finished going through puberty. I hope the half-pint isn't drinking. _The lanky brunette sophomore was attempting to strike up a conversation with his hero, their words inaudible to Ryan, drowned out by the overpowering bass from the sound system. From his posture, Troy was unimpressed but attempting to feign interest as he removed several slices of pizza from the box and set them on a plate for transport. _Troy doesn't need the responsibility of chaperoning both of us. _Warily, Ryan eyed the other food items, his stomach complaining about his indecisiveness. _Make up your mind and hurry up and put something in me! _It demanded.

"I watched all of your techniques carefully last year," Jimmie gushed, following Troy back to the blond. His lips formed a smile that was slightly smug in its confidence. "I've mastered a few of them."

"That's great Jimmie," the older brunette's inflection was a stark contrast to the words it voiced.

"I'm _sure _to make the team this year," Jimmie continued, unswayed, "Just picture it, you and me- _The _Troy Bolton and Rocketman. Kings of the court!" His eyes sparkled with his ambitions and Ryan could tell that the boy was too far-gone, lost in his dream world.

Troy shot his lover a frantic look. _Help me!_

Coming to the aid of his love, the performer broke in, taking Troy's unoccupied side, "Sure you will. Keep working on that jump shot."

Re-entering the real world, Jimmie gave the male an earnest slap on the shoulder, "Thanks dude!" Energy blissfully radiated from him, signaling his soon-to-come departure.

With sincerity, Troy advised the boy, "And don't work yourself too hard, Rocketman."

Fan girlish glee filled Jimmie Zara's wiry frame as the boy shot off, making a beeline for a group of guys and girls whom were getting progressively more inebriated.

Turning, Troy gave Ryan a look of gratitude. "That's _twice_ now that you've saved my ass, babe."

"Someone had to do it." The male twin shrugged off the deed, unable to take credit for it.

"Well, I'm glad that "someone" was you. Had it been anyone else, I wouldn't be able to reward them."

Heat crept into the fair pallor of Ryan's cheeks, coloring them a pretty light red that nearly matched his glossy lips. "'_Reward'_ huh?" He drew the word out, his lips curling upward as his eyelids dropped, concealing half of his vibrant irises under a veil of lashes in a demure expression.

Troy's member gave a twinge at the all of the wondrous, fanciful splendors those two syllables held when they came from his lover's cherry lips. He put up a valiant struggle to suppress the urge to pin the slim dancer to the wall and begin kissing him violently. _Fuck. Doesn't he know what he does to me? He twists my body into knots. The smile of his turns me insides to mush. And god, his voice. _Delighted chills traversing his spine, the brunette recalled where he was and the responsibilities at hand. "You'll get a preview of what that reward is," he purred huskily, his tone intentionally teasing, agonizing the bulge at the front of his own jeans and causing the flush on Ryan's face to broaden and spread, allowing his hand to wander up the blond's neck "once you eat something."

Ryan tried not to feel disappointed, knowing Troy only had his best interests at heart. But the companion within his jeans had a mind of its own and possessed a tendency to think on its own behalf. With a smile, he voiced, "Alright, Captain Sunshine," and Troy commenced in handing off a slice of plain cheese pizza to him. He stared the food down, awaiting a nod before picking it up and taking miniscule bites out of the triangular slab. As he ate, Troy began piling up his own plate with nachos and pretzels. Ryan watched carefully, minding what the golden boy intended to ingest. "That's not good for you, you know,' he advised, addressing the cholesterol levels of the food items. The nachos in particular gave off a dangerous aura.

"None of this stuff is, but that's why it's a party. You're not supposed to be worried about food. "

_Yeah_, Ryan's internal voice noted abrasively, _the drunkards trying to come onto people are more concerning than the clogging of your arteries. _

"What would you like to drink?"

Ryan carefully considered this. Surveying all of the kids around him, so carefree, unburdened by the weight of the world and the complications of adolescence, he couldn't bear being a hindrance to Troy anymore. _If I let loose and have fun, then so will Troy. _"I'd like a strawberry daiquiri," he answered.

"Are you sure?" Troy's eyebrows knitted together, an expression of worry. He was the protective type, after all.

_My knight in shining armor. _

"Yeah," the actor replied, hoping his soft reassurance would prove persuasive enough.

Troy walked over to the cooler at the end of the table and pulled out two bottles. Before handing Ryan's drink over, he removed the cap, a reflexive motion of his that both of them had grown accustomed to. Popping the top on his own, the brunette clinked his bottle into the blond's and simultaneously they tipped them back, swigging the beverage down.

-Sinking-

A crowd formed, a circle closing in, ever tightening, and at the center was Ryan Evans dong one of the many activities his body had been honed to: dancing. His hips gyrating to the beat of the song blasting through the speakers, intoxication did nothing to impede the agile fluidity of his movements.

He raised his voice, singing along to the words of a song he knew well, a large cluster of drunken girls joining him.

_Hey there sugar baby_

_ Saw you twice at the pop show_

_ You taste just like glitter_

Running a hand down his body and back up, Ryan demonstrated his idea of "tasting".

_Mixed with rock and roll_

_ I like you a lot, lot_

_ Think you're really hot, hot_

He stepped forward and taking the hand of a tall boy, whom was rendered giddy and bashful by his state of inebriation, drew him into his dance.

_Know you think you're special _

_ When we dance real crazy_

Stepping around the other boy, the theater king walked his fingers up his chest before playfully pushing him off to the side and discarding him.

_Glamophonic, electronic_

_ D-Disco baby_

_ I like you a lot, lot_

_ All we want is hot, hot_

_ Boys, boys, boys_

_ We like boys in cars_

_ Boys, boys, boys_

_ Buy us drinks in bars_

_ Boys, boys, boys_

_ With hair spray and denim_

_ Boys, boys, boys_

_ We love them!_

From their positions on the sofa, Chad and Taylor exchanged a glance, unsure of how to react. Spotting Troy among the observers of the spectacle, a million dollar grin plastered on his face, obviously drunk, they knew something had to be done.

Her hands on her hips, Taylor gave her boyfriend a stern look, one he could never decline, her eyebrow arched. "Well, Mr. Danforth."

"I know. I'll handle it." With a sigh, Chad got up and made his way over to his brunette friend as Ryan continued to give his all in an "interesting" rendition of "Boys Boys Boys" by Lady Gaga. "Live," the bushy haired athlete quipped to himself, "one night, standing room only."

_Baby is a bad boy _

_ In some retro sneakers_

_ Let's go see "The Killers"_

_ And make out in the bleachers_

_ I like you a lot, lot_

Fired up by the energy of the blond, Jimmie Zara couldn't help but join in, pumping his fist as he exclaimed along with Ryan and the girls;

_Think you're really hot, hot!_

_ Let's go to the party_

_ Heard our buddy's the deejay_

_ Don't forget my lipstick_

_ I left it in your ashtray_

"Troy! Hey, Troy!" Chad whispered harshly into his friend's ear.

"Huh? Hey man!" Troy recognized his friend with a warm smile. "Wasssup?"

"Dude, you need to reign in lover boy."

"Ryan?" Troy looked genuinely confused as if unable to fathom what his sexy angel love has possibly done wrong.

"Yeah. He's like seriously making a spectacle of himself. Not to mention grinding against some guys who wouldn't be very pleased about if their higher brain functions were still working correctly."

"Aw, but Ryan's havin' fun!" Troy objected, his eyes softening into a puppy dog pout.

Chad would not be dissuaded. "That won't work on me, man. You've got to put a handle on this, now." He stood his ground, firmly planting his feet.

Sure enough, a spark of responsibility lit Troy's oceanic orbs and he walked onto Ryan's stage.

The moment Ryan sighted his lover, he felt his body inexplicably tugged the athletic boys' way. _Troy. My Troy. Oh yes my sexy, beautiful love. Lovely love. Trooooy. _Sashaying over, he positioned himself in front of the boy and began to grind against him, singing into Troy's ear, making both of their bodies ache with heat and longing. Unanimously, they shared the thought _Yes! Ohh, fuck yes!_

Within their minds, they were transported to the back of a stretch limousine, fingers running through each other's hair, tongues tangled inside of their mouths. Breaking off, Ryan ghosted his hands down his lover's body, thumbs brushing his nipples on the way down to his perfect six pack abdomen.

_I'm not loose I like to party_

_ Let's get lost in your Ferrari_

_ Not psychotic, or dramatic_

_ I like boys and that is that_

_ It's love it when you call me legs_

_ In the morning, buy me eggs_

_ Watch your heart when we're together_

_ Boys like you love me forever_

And then they were being hoisted up, sustained in mid air by the able bodies of all the men in attendance who were suddenly shirtless, flaunting their rippling muscles in an expose' that only strengthened the ache between Ryan's legs. Their hands roamed down his body; his mind was on Troy. The athlete and the actor were then lowered to the ground, Chad, Jason, and Jimmie joining in the other males as they danced around the twosome, encircling them. Faster and faster the world spun, and Ryan was unable to keep up. His head was light, his throat burned and there was an internal feeling of certainty that he was going to spew the minimal contents of his stomach on Jason's basement floor. He felt his body swaying out of reach of his control.

He leaned against Troy, using the boy's powerful upper body as a support beam. "Troy…" he heard himself whimper pitifully.

The brunette's arm was around him, steadying, comforting as always.

"It's okay baby," Troy's tenor-baritone soothed him. "I got you…"

-Resuscitation-

Ryan wretched miserably into the toilet, each pained grunt absolute agony.

Troy held onto him, rubbing a hand down his backside every time the blond came away from the bowl, weakened from the strain of his stomach muscles.

Jason and Chad stood on standby, uncertain of whether or not to intervene.

It was Ryan who at last broke the silence by not wretching, but speaking up, his tone wry. "Sorry to be so much trouble."

Chad winced sympathetically.

"It's okay," Jason assured him. "You guys can stay if you want. A couple of other people are. It's not safe to drive when you're hammered."

Troy paled with gratitude. "Thanks a million, man. Don't worry, Ryan and I will keep it down and we'll be out of here first thing tomorrow."

Chad's gaze shifted from his friend to the boy in his arms. "You gonna be alright, Ryan?'

"Yes," Ryan answered, his voice cracking slightly.

"I hope so, Troy's brow line creased in concern.

Biting his lip, the blond felt nothing but shame for his senseless shenanigans and the worry that they had needlessly caused.

Troy, however, simply held him, letting him snuggle into his chest.

-Don't Let Me Drown-

They lay back on the single bed in the guest room. Although it was rather awkward for both of them, especially since it was Jason's home and not their own, they came to a unanimous decision that they would sleep in their underwear for "comfort reasons". Of course, once their tongues were busily scraping over each other, the notion of sleep was pushed to the back of their minds. Ryan could taste

Troy's drink underneath the overpowering mint of the mouthwash he had swished and gargled to rid himself of the revolting taste of stomach acid and regurgitated alcohol.

With a throaty grunt, Troy pulled him in deeper, deeper, their bodies joining.

It was sometime during this that Ryan's mind left him.

**A/N: I'm back! **I had been meaning to sit myself down and type the this chapter up for my devoted readers, but I never had the motivation… until I came across the literary fecal matter known as "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer. I was so enraged by Meyer's portrayal of her "protagonist" Bella Swan's depression and the girl's obscene selfishness regarding her situation, I got all the motivation I needed to get back to this story. 

I promise you, dear readers, never again will I have you wait so long for the next update. Until then epiphanies and surrealism abound in the next installment. I hope to see you then.

Yours truly, Nek0_sama. 


	24. Chapter 24: Delusion

**A/N: Warnings: I shouldn't have to point out to anyone who has read this far that this is slash, but, if two boys loving one another up makes you want to rip your hair out and climb the walls, you should probably avoid any of my stories. **Fear for your sanity, ye who tread here. 

Chapter 24: Delusion

A spotlight fell on Ryan's form, its glare giving his ivory skin a polished glow. "I'm Ryan," he said. "I'm seventeen. I'm a hedonist and a nympho."

"Hi, Ryan," disembodied voices chorused. As if this was their cue, the overhead lights came on, fully illuminating the rest of the room. Around him, his friends and peers occupied chairs that stood in a circular formation. His gaze panning, he found Troy sitting at his left and Sharpay at his right. Kelsi, Jason, Martha and Chad were all seated to his left as well. Zeke was on the opposite side of Sharpay. Finishing off the circle sat Taylor McKessie directly across from him, clipboard at the ready and pen in hand, poised to write.

"Ryan," she spoke in an authorative tone, reminding the theater king of a therapist.

_This must be my session, _he found himself thinking.

"We will now begin by explaining the case of Ryan Evans," Taylor's voice resonated in the expansive white space.

_Case?_

Beside him, he felt Sharpay lean forward, signaling that she meant to speak. "He's insecure. He doesn't like or appreciate himself."

"He's learning to," Troy's voice broke in. "How could you have expected him to with a sister who loathes him for something that wasn't his fault?"

Ryan looked to the brunette athlete. His ally, his lover.

"He-betrayed-me," Sharpay argued, enunciating each syllable.

"I didn't!" The blond male argued. "I never meant to hurt you! I couldn't control it! David was on me and I-!" He was cut off as a pair of lips pressed themselves to his. He stared, his eyes stretched wide, stupefied at his sister's face mere centimeters from his own. His heart thudded heavily in his chest cavity, the feeling serving as a sharp contrast to the ones Troy evoked and at the same time being frighteningly similar.

And then, she pulled away, looking into his eyes with a dark glossiness over her brown orbs. He was overcome with a deep sadness as a part of him was ripped away. "You betrayed me," she whispered, "and now I have to take you back…?" Sharpay withdrew, turning away from him only to be taken into Zeke's arms.

Troy's strong arms took Ryan in and the blond's heart swelled; heartache and bliss battling one another for dominance. "Ryan is a good person," Troy's chest vibrated as he spoke and Ryan could feel the motions of his lover's jaw against his hatless head of gelled blond. "He's made my life worthwhile. He's brave, selfless, drop-dead gorgeous and makes me feel like I'm perfect even though I'm far from it."

_Ohh Trooy._

"He's a good friend," Kelsi inputted with a sheepish glance at her feet and a light blush on her face.

"He's got some poppin' moves," Martha added, then, leaping out of her seat, she began to demonstrate by showing off her hip-hop dancing abilities.

Chad and Jason nodded their agreement and with an anxious glance at Sharpay, Zeke soon joined them.

Safe in Troy's arms, Ryan felt empowered and as everyone around him voiced their assonance with his lover's opinion of him, his confidence began blossoming.

Taking note of the goings on, Taylor at last inquired, "Is there a second opinion to be offered?"

"He helped Troy break my heart," a girlish voice that could only belong to one person replied. Gabriella Montez stepped into the white space and one by one all of the other occupants began to vanish until Ryan and Troy alone remained. "I wanted both of you and then you had to get with each other."

Anger surged through the blond male's slender body. 'You blew your chance with Troy!" He wrapped his arms around the golden boy clinging, tightly to him as he glared at the dark haired female. "He's mine and I'm not letting him go!"

Troy's grip on him tightened as well. "I love Ryan. I'm his, he's mine and you _won't _get in the way of that." His declaration rang out.

Their words held enough sustenance that as they reached Gabriella, they seemed to wound her physically. "As long as Chace is around, I'll never stand a chance with her!" She whimpered, holding her hands up as if to deflect blows being thrown at her.

_With her? _Ryan pondered. There was a flash and an image of Allison; Kelsi's drama partner filled his mind. He had a feeling, or was premonition the better word in this instance, that the image of Allison originated from Troy's subconscious, that somehow, his lover was projecting the images into his mind of something that he had seen in his absence.

Gabriella's physical form began to separate into a pile of fuzzy eight-legged creatures.

_SPIDERS! _Ryan's brain screamed in recognition. Letting out a shriek, he scrambled to get away from the arachnids, squinching his eyes shut. _Disappear! _He prayed fervently. _Make the spiders disappear. _His skin began to crawl with the sensation of hundreds of Gabriella spiders creeping up his arms, his legs, his back. _Get off! Get off! GET OFF!_

His eyes re-opened and the spiders were gone. A thick blackness met his gaze. Possession of his body returned to him and it was carpet that lay against his bare back. His left arm was numb, the lack of circulation causing it to have "fallen asleep". Flexing his fingers, he attempted to restore blood flow to the momentarily useless limb.

"Ryan?" Troy's hushed voice drifted into his ear canals. His eyes adjusting, the blond could just make out the form of his lover in the dark.

"Yes?" he called softly, if only to indicate to the brunette his location.

Troy did not implore as to how the petite male ended up on the floor, instead he hoisted him off the ground with an amused, "Come here you nympho, you," and laid him on the bed.

Burrowing into the smooth texture and warmth of the virile boy's bodice, Ryan chuckled, "Only because you made me one."

Troy's arm wrapped securely around him. "Don't worry, Ry. I won't let the spiders get you."

"My hero." He hugged the brunette tightly as he had in his delusion, knowing not even the interference of hundreds of Gabriella-spiders would give him incentive to let go. A light smile played on his red lips as he closed his eyes. "My hero."

Two bodies exhaled a single breath, sharing a sigh. Sleep accepted the invitation into the room and soon it whisked the twosome off, letting them sink soundless into its comforting arms.

**A/N: Next chapter! ANGST. Stay tuned. **


	25. Chapter 25: Fracture

**A/N: You know the drill. **None of this belongs to me accept the plot, slash and Tryan haters beware… yadda yadda. 

Chapter 25: Fracture

The two boys stood there, peering into each other's eyes. The conclusion of their rehearsal was met with a round of boisterous applause from their drama classmates.

"Bravo!" Ms. Darbus interjected.

Even with all of her envy toward the happy couple, a smile spread across Gabriella's face when she caught the eye of Allison Finch and the two of them shared a smile. Over the head of the younger girl, she could make out the figure of a lean brunette male who beckoned to her.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryan glimpsed movement from the dark-haired girl as she began edging away. Instantly, he knew something was amiss.

Troy stirred beside him. Concern emanated from him. He could sense it too. "What's the matter?"

"Gabriella's plotting something," Ryan replied. "And Chace is on it."

Following his lover's gaze, the blond could tell from the brunette's furrowed brows that the gears were turning. He was intent on doing something to prevent his ex from putting the relationship he had forged with the theater king who was still in the process of restoration in ruins. As always, Troy Bolton was hell bent on being the hero. Troy turned and his gaze stared imploringly into Ryan's.

Ryan stared back and they looked one another up and down, the petite blond searching for some method of dissuading his lover as he was wracked with a premonition that Fate had something unspeakably _terrible _in store. _Don't_, his sky blue eyes pleaded. _I can't tolerate you getting hurt. Not for me. Not on my account. _

Lifting a hand, Troy gently stroked the boy's porcelain cheek. "I'll be right back," he promised him. With a kiss on the cheek, he retracted himself, taking his warmth, his strength, and the sense of security he provided with him.

Wrought with despair, Ryan could only look on, hugging his arms about himself to ward off his beloved's absence. No physical contact could prohibit the thoughts that seeped in, tormenting him. _He's going to be hurt. Shattered. _Broken. _And it will be all your fault…!_

-Don't Let Me Drown—

Troy looked in at the storage area backstage. Chace Cooper stood there, leering back at him, his lips curled into a sneer. "Bolton."

Scowling, Troy fought to keep his voice even. "What do you want?" His gaze shifted to the shorter figure of his ex-girlfriend.

It was harder to stifle his anger when he found that she couldn't even meet his eyes and instead resorted to Sharpay's method of shamefully lowering her eyes to the floor. Girls couldn't look upon him when he was angry. They couldn't handle him. Removing his gaze from her, he instead looked to Chace, the one whom presumably held the power. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but leave Ryan and me out of it."

"Bolton," Chace chided. "When are you going to learn that you don't hold the world in the palm of your hand?"

"I never said I did." Troy's voice hardened, his ocean blue eyes glaring daggers.

The two brunette males commenced in staring one another down; blue boring into green. Troy regarded his opposition, assessing his capabilities. Although they were nearly equal in height, Chace was not as physically equipped. His fists clenching and unclenching, the golden boy wondered what it would feel like for his fist to make a connection with the other boy's jaw, his stomach. _Would he crumple under the impact? Would he regret_ _helping Gabriella spread those lies about me? About _Ryan_?_

They circled one another; matching each other's steps in the ritualistic dance of the predator and its prey.

"These people think you're a god, Bolton. But you know what?" Chace's features contorted into a smirk twisted by rage and envy. He stepped in, invading Troy's personal space until there was a distance or mere centimeters between their faces. Troy tried not to flinch away from the closeness of his enemy, but even as his loathing began to grow, he thought to himself: _Why is he jealous of me? Because I have Ryan? And if it's me he's after, why the fuck does he have to bring Ryan down as well?_

"Even gods can be broken." Chace gave Troy a rough shove to add emphasis to his words.

Troy kept his arms firmly at his sides, unwilling to fight until given a greater justification than the personal attack. _Give me a reason, asshole. Give me a reason to knock your lights out. _

The next voice that spoke shocked him to the core.

"Chace, stop it!" Gabriella's girlish voice called out.

"_What_?" Caught off guard, Chace turned to the petite girl whom had been up until this moment, standing by, silently chewing her lower lip. "Gabby, I thought this was what you wanted!"

"It was," her voice broke as her pools of liquid brown brimmed with tears. "But I don't want to do this anymore! I want to be a good girl again."

The steely glint of Chace's green eyes was now redirected at Gabriella. "You make me go through all this trouble only to turn on me?"

Dumbfounded, Troy could only watch the confrontation as it played out, unable to feel anything for either of its participants.

"I'm sorry," Gabriella sobbed, "but I can't do this!"

Breaking away, Troy felt his back make contact with the wood of the shelving system. Above his head, a box perched precariously, teetering on the edge. Had he not been so caught up in the lover's quarrel, he might have taken notice of this.

"I've done everything for you!" Chace roared, his shoulders heaving as he advanced toward her.

"I'm sorry!" She continued to sob. "I can't!" A yelp escaped her as Chace violently seized her arm.

"You traitorous skank!"

"Let go!" She begged pitifully. "Please, let me go!"

He should have seen it coming. Had he been able to, he might have moved aside in time to evade it. Everyone has moments like that in life where they'll think back on a certain scenario and regret not saying or doing something when they were presented the opportunity. But Troy Bolton was no god and it all happened so fast. Dodging the bullet was an impossible feat.

It seemed as though his body went numb, numb to all of its surroundings. The world's audio track had been muted completely but for his blood pulsing in his ears. When Chace threw Gabriella into him, Troy felt nothing. And when the box full of stage props fell, the impact sending him and the girl he now despised to the ground, he was deadened to the sensation. When the sound returned, the first thing he heard was a scream; an agonized howl that seemed animalistic. He saw the box with his forearm disappearing beneath it. He took it all in; the manner in which the box was laying on its side, hammers and nails spilling out of it. The way his limb was twisted under its edge, the image a harbinger of devastation. His sense of touch returned to him then, electrifying pain shooting along his arm. Words, no matter how his subconscious struggled to form them, failed at adequately describing what he experienced. It was too surreal. Too mindboggling. Only after all this did he realize the scream was coming from his own mouth.

-Devastated-

"You and Troy were amazing today."

Ryan plastered on a forced smile at Kelsi's compliment. Although he had no doubts that the praise was genuine, he was wracked with anxiety ever since he and Troy had spotted Gabriella sneaking off to meet her boyfriend and the brunette athlete had taken off in pursuit. A duration of about five minutes had occurred since then. His ominous feeling that something unmentionably horrible was about to happen or already _had _happened returned full force. Guilt plagued him and he broke out in a cold sweat along his forehead. The image of Troy lying battered and broken backstage dominated his cerebrum. His fists clenched so tightly, his fingernails left indents on the skin of his palm. All of this remained somehow unseen by Kelsi. All but one thing.

"Ryan? Your face… you're so pale, you look like a ghost. Are you alright?"

And that's when they all heard the confirmation to the theater king's worst nightmare.

"_AAAAAHHH_!" A gut-wrenching scream of illicit agony filled the auditorium. From the depth of pitch it was easily determined that the vocal chords that produced the deeply perturbing sound belonged to a male. And not just any male for that matter.

Whispers of preponderance flew rapidly as the drama club members struggled to discern the cause of such commotion.

"Settle down!" Ms. Darbus ordered, her expression betraying her own underlying feelings of panic.

In light of the situation, to Ryan, the order sounded more like a plea. And the plea fell on deaf ears, at least in his case. His legs pulled him sprinting out through the double doors, which clapped shut behind him. His mind was in a fervor, issuing a series of pleas to somehow refute what couldn't possibly be happening. _NO! No, no, no, no! Not now! Not _ever_! Not to _Troy! He raced backstage and the sight that met his eyes made him stop dead, his joints locking into place as shock brought on a state of physical paralysis. His blood ran cold within his veins as if someone injected him with liquid nitrogen.

Gabriella lay on the floor, her ankle twisted beneath a large box. _The very box _that he himself had supervised the placement of the week prior while Alan and Joseph were charged with backstage duty due to a lack of volunteers from the scarce amount of violators of Ms. Darbus's "Zero Tolerance Cell Phone Policy". The girl let out a whimper, but that was not what caused him to wither and die internally.

But then again, simply dying would have been easy. If he _died_, he wouldn't have to see Troy, his love, the god of East High School in all of his divine beauty lying prone, his beautiful golden forearm twisted beneath the box. The damn, EVIL box. And if he _died_, he wouldn't feel the black wave of guilt, it weight amounting to tons immeasurable, closing over his head, consuming him, _devouring_ him, but not killing him. To kill him would be an act of act of pity. Guilt had no pity as it claimed him. He was undeserving of it. He was just another nameless casualty. If he _died_, he wouldn't have to live with the undeniable truth. That this situation, _all of it_, was entirely and utterly his fault.

"_Troy?_" He herd Kelsi exclaim from somewhere behind him.

Jesse and Jeremy raced forward to assist the athlete, the god fallen-from heaven.

Allison and Cassidy, a dark-haired senior, ran to Gabriella's aid.

Ryan couldn't will himself to move forward. To come to Troy's assistance would involve touching him. _If I touch him, I'll _destroy _him. My hands are soiled. Stained with his blood. _

Ms. Darbus beckoned Chace to her, leveling his defiance with threats of calling security. After what had happened with Gabriella, he was much too dazed to put up any resistance and came quietly.

As Troy was righted, Ryan felt the boy's gaze on him, searching to reassure him that this was not his fault. That he would be all right. Ryan would not allow himself the alleviation that he would undoubtedly find there. _I don't deserve it. I hurt you, Troy. _He squinched his eyes shut, but the image was still there; Troy' arm with its beautiful golden flesh pinned beneath a box; tarnished with hideous bruises. _I fucking _broke _you! _His body lurched forward, wracked with sobs. With guilt. With self-animosity.

There was a gentle touch on his shoulder. "Ryan?"

He flinched away, not deeming himself worthy of contact from the god-like boy. Concern. _I broke Troy. I don't deserve to live. _In spite of the protests for him to wait, to stop, to come back, Ryan found himself running for the second time that day, and although he knew not what he ran away from, his final destination was set.

-Gone-

"Aaaagh!" Troy clung to his injured arm, his liability, as pain seized it mercilessly. The basketball fell out of his hand and bounced once before rolling across the gymnasium floor, ignored.

Chad ran to his friend's side. "Troy, come on man. With your arm all screwed, there's no way-"

"Troy."

Looking up, the younger Bolton met his father's eyes.

"Go sit this one out." Jack Bolton gave a nod toward the bench.

After spraining his shooting arm quite severely, losing Ryan, and on top of it, disappointing his team, his coach and his father during try outs, Troy was too drained to put up an argument. He dragged his weary form to the bench, his bushy-haired best friend hovering nearby just in case. Sinking onto the polished wood surface, he let out a groan of frustration. He simply couldn't shake the look on Ryan's face. His Ryan, his angel. The blond had looked completely shattered when he discovered the golden boy lying there, arm wrenched painfully beneath a box utilized for storage. His eyes were so dark, full of hatred toward himself. Void of light. Troy was haunted by the recollection of Ryan fleeing from him and the comfort he offered. "How could I have fucked up so badly?"

"It's not your fault," Chad assured him. "Gabriella and Chace were plotting this. They set you up, man. There isn't much you could have done."

Troy knew that Chad was just trying to be a good friend. _Everyone _was, giving him those looks of pity, letting him slide because he was unable to use his right hand. It was suffocating. He couldn't stand it. _What about Ryan? Why isn't anyone worried about _him_?_ "I promised him that I wouldn't get hurt, Chad. I _promised _Ryan that I wouldn't get hurt. And right now, Ryan is somewhere _alone_, blaming _himself _for what happened! He's _hating _himself, Chad, because I couldn't keep my promise to him!" Troy slammed his uninjured hand down on the bench in an attempt to diminish the fire of his rage and all-consuming guilt. It was to no avail. "I'm so god damn stupid!"

His voice rose, drawing attention and distracting those immersed in firing dunk shots.

Troy, however, was unconcerned with how the hopefuls would perceive his outburst. And Chad prioritized the well being of his best friend, his brother as the brunette's body convulsed with scarcely audible sobs. He drew the boy in, wrapping an arm around his backside. "Troy, hey, calm down dude," the curly-haired boy murmured. Yes, it was awkward for him, but he and Troy had been as close as kindred since preschool. Seeing his compatriot in such an unstable state, he was able to push aside his feelings of discomfort and tend to the broken god.

Troy's chest heaved as he struggled to reel in his emotions. _I'm being such a pussy about this! _He acquitted with great disdain.

"You can fix this," Chad assured him.

"How?" Troy choked out, hating himself for being so pathetic, for causing Chad so much trouble.

"You're the captain." As always, his friend's voice was light, chipper, but at the same time, Chad was not babying him because he was an object of worship. He wasn't giving him false promises that everything was going to be okay. Empty words that lacked foundation. "You'll figure it out. But first thing's first, you've gotta find Ryan, and to do that," he could feel a smile break out on Chad's face, "you've got to stop crying."

In spite of himself, Troy almost laughed.

Chad looked around awkwardly at the now-gaping team hopefuls. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this one."

Although he was deeply touched at his friend's concern, the form that Troy leaned into was not pale, slender, decked out in bright colors and carrying the scent of strawberries and mist, and this only upset him further. His heart wrenched with an agony that his sprained arm could only dream of rendering on its host. _Chad's not Ryan_, he told himself miserably. A fracture had formed in the rock that held him and the theater king together mentally, physically, and spiritually. And if he did not act soon, the fracture would only grow until a canyon yawned between them, the space too great, too vast as to make crossing it near impossible. _If I can't bridge the gap_, he professed with ominous finality, _I'll lose Ryan forever. And if I lose him, I will _die.

**A/N: Will Troy be able to save Ryan? Can what has been lost be restored? Found out in the next chapter. **


	26. Chapter 26: Hate

Chapter 26: Hate

Ryan sat in a slump on his bedroom floor. He couldn't face school. He couldn't bring himself near Troy, the divine being, the god. _I've ruined him. I can't see him ever again. _Tears pricked his eyes as countless memories overwhelmed him. His arms wrapped tightly about his body and even as he scolded himself for his selfishness, he wishes the arms were Troy's. Subconsciously, the slender blond rocked himself back and forth, desiring, even unknowingly, some form of comfort in the face of destruction. He had no control over his life. He was nothing. He was insignificant. Completely worthless.

His cat, Hollybell, nudged his leg in an attempt to draw him out of his misery.

Ryan once again would not allow himself to be comforted. Ignoring the cat's inquisitive "mrrow?", he forced himself up on wobbly legs and removed his journal from where it was kept safeguarded by lock and key in his nightstand. His white hand shaking uncontrollably, he picked up a pen and put it to the paper. _This is my final entry_, he vowed.

9-18

Dear Diary: I have committed the unforgivable act… I-I've _hurt _Troy. No, no, hurt isn't the right word. More or less I've completely destroyed him!

Tears poured down his face, blurring his vision as they plinked onto the paper, staining it with his unrelenting grief.

The most beautiful being on earth, in the universe and I have destroyed him. I don't deserve to live! Evan now as m guilt consumes me; I realize that I am _EVIL_. I should have known, I should have known all along that I could only break him. My world, my everything, I've RUINED him! And the only thing that I can do to redeem myself is to rid the world of me permanently. If I die, it will make everyone happy; Shar, Troy, Mom, Dad. _Everyone. _The world will be a better place when I am no longer part of it. Oh, Troy. I'm so sorry. Eternally sorry. You will never know just how much I love you and how I can't STAND myself for what I've done. You were _everything_ to me and I…

Shar, I know you will never know, you'll never see, you'll never understand… I wish you the best…

Pulling away from the parchment, his last proclamation, the blond looked on with a mixture of fascination and awe as his teardrops smudged the ink. Deeming it fruitless to write any further, he set the book and the pen down. His bedroom door slammed open, but he knew better than to hope for salvation from damnation. He no longer hoped to find Troy standing there, his beautiful ocean colored eyes full of love. Love for him and him alone. A love so immense, it stole away all of his sanity.

"That box hurt Gabriella." Sharpay's voice was taut with anger as she launched right in without prelude. "My drama partner," She added testily when her brother gave no response. It was as if he was completely brain-dead. Unfeeling, unresponsive, a doll, his porcelain face twisted in misery.

Yes, that's right. He could vaguely recall the dark-haired girl lying among the carnage, another victim of his foolishness. _Why won't you say anything? _The insidious voice asked him. _Why can't you say anything? Coward! You ruin everything, don't you? _He trembled under the weight of the voice as it reverberated relentlessly throughout his skull. _You little bitch! Say something!_

"I'm not going to be able to perform now." Sharpay's brown eyes were scathing, as she looked him over. Despite her beauty, the female Evans twin never had any tact. She could be very blunt and even callous with her words. And every one she uttered now felt like a dagger piercing Ryan's smooth ivory flesh. "Taking David from me wasn't enough for you, was it? You selfish little bitch!"

Ryan flinched as if she had struck him. He wished she had. He wanted to feel pain, to be tortured. He wanted to die. Any shred of self-righteousness was gone, effaced completely as a wave of hatred took its place inside of him. _I've ruined Troy and my sister hates me. I'm nothing but a fuck-up. I should die._

_ Say something! _The malicious voice taunted. _Coward! Spineless faggot!_

"Say something!" Sharpay's voice joined in, a shriek pealing out. Her words were vicious bullets intent on ripping through him. "_Talk_, god damn it! You're so weak Ryan! When people talk down to you and push you around, you just stand there quietly and take it!"

Ryan's heart sank into his stomach, causing the abdominal organ began to churn violently. _Another thing to make me suffer_, he told wryly.

"You've ruined me, you know that?" His sister fixed him in her brown eyes, glowering at him as if he was one of the vilest creatures on the face of the earth. "Absolutely _ruined _me and you've got nothing to say for yourself?"

The tidal wave of her ire crashed over him, drowning him. Suppressing his reflex to live, ignoring the desire to preserve the life fluttering within his chest, he submerged himself. Looking back at his sister, the petite male's sky colored eyes were dulled by his grief, his gaze hollow lifeless.

"AAGH!" Sharpay let out a snarl. "I've always hated that about you! Can't you fucking do _anything _right?" Her fists clenched. Ryan imagined his sister's hands wrapping about his slender throat, crushing his windpipe as she pushed down on his Adam's apple. Lightly tanned flesh standing out against creamy ivory. "You just sit around here moping all day whenever _Troy_ isn't around." Her voice took on a mocking note as she dug her heels into the carpeted floor.

The male twin felt his body shudder when she spoke Troy's name as if he too was vile, _foul_. Troy, his life. His treasure. _The most beautiful being alive. The one that I have obliterated. _

You're so dependent on other people." His sister's voice continued its rampant assault on his throbbing eardrums. "I've always _hated_ that about you!"

_Hate. _As soon as that word, it one syllable emphasized to enable its full power cleaved at him from his sister's pink lips, his decision was finalized. But no measure he took to numb his body could dull the magnitude of the pain in his chest. His heart _hurt. _Unbearably. Unfathomably.

"Why can't you just-?"

His legs unsteady, Ryan rose, and staring into his sister's brown eyes, he exposed everything to her; the torment that he had endured at her hands. His starvation. His isolation. His utter loathing of himself and his desire to end it all the only way he knew how. "_Die_?" The simple word in all of it finality crippled his twin as it sent shockwaves throughout the bedroom. The walls revived memories of him lying there, empty, wasting away, awaiting his fate. The bed, although he had spent a great part of his summer vacation in it, desiring to sink into its sheets and disappear, bore no imprint of his previously skeletal form. It was overwhelming for both of them. The siblings regarded one another with tears in their eyes knowing that once upon a time, they would have had their arms about each other, offering a shoulder to cry on and soothing words. The rift between them had become too great for that. Ryan's inflection was cold, detached as he addressed his sister. It lacked any familial warmth. He couldn't pretend that any existed between them anymore. "If I do that, will that finally make you happy?"

He could see his closest companion since his emergence from their mother's womb struggle to conceal what she felt from him. Her eyes glistened with raw emotion as the ugly truth began to sink in. Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to summon anger, spite, anything toward her twin. She failed miserably. Her hand reached toward him for the first time following her striking him.

He wouldn't allow her to touch him. _I won't soil you, too. I've done enough already. _His sadness strangling him, Ryan brushed past once again. The moment he crossed the threshold and exited his sleeping quarters, his speed increased. And then he was running again. Away from his sister's insistent pleas. Away from the people he had harmed irreparably by merely existing. He fled from Life itself.

Her chest shuddering with restrained sobs, Sharpay turned and found the book lying open on her brother's bed. The prose inside of it was written in his handwriting. Without a second though, she picked it up, her eyes stretching wide as she took in the hate-filled words formed by her twin's delicate hand: _I am EVIL… I've RUINED him!... If I die, it will make everyone happy; Shar, Troy Mom, Dad… _ Everyone_…I can't STAND myself for what I've done…Shar, I know you will never know, you'll never see, you'll never understand. _

She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror. She _did _understand and she knew all-too-well that this was all her fault. The world spun around her and her knees succumbed, buckling under the weight of the world and sending her to the ground. Tears ran down her face, staining it in blotted mascara. She had been wrong. So very, very wrong. _Ryan's not the weaker twin. _I _am! _Almost single-handedly, Sharpay Evans had destroyed her precious brother. Because of her Ryan, beautiful Ryan with his dazzling smile _hated _himself. How could she do anything but loather herself in return?

**A/N: Sharpay has at last realized the grievous wrong she has committed, but a little too late in the ballgame. The race against time begins. **


	27. Chapter 27: Frenzy

**A/N: It just got real.**

Chapter 27: Frenzy

Troy pressed his foot to the accelerator, watching the signs reminding him of the legal speed limit flying by as white blurs past his window. He could care less about the tickets he would undoubtedly be receiving for his violation of the law. That was the farthest thing from his mind. No. As he pulled up in front of the Evans mansion, the only thing on his mind was Ryan. _I have to find Ryan. I have to save him from himself! _He ran up the stairs, a man possessed, to find Sharpay in his angel's bedroom, tears streaming down her face. She sat on the floor, the picture of despair. And he knew that the ugly truth had at last sank in. Although he was quite rattled to see Sharpay Evans who was so together, so unbreakable in a state of such distress, Troy wasted no time. "Where is Ryan?" He inquired.

"He left!" The female Evans choked out. She had fallen from glory and nothing was there to cushion her plummet.

The brunette could feel his panic levels rising. That was _not_ what he wanted to hear. "Where did he-?" He began.

"Troy, you _have_ to find him!" Sharpay sobbed. "Don't let him make the biggest mistake of his life! _Please! _We need him here! _I _need him! He-!" She broke off, losing her eloquence as a fresh wave of sobbing stole over her.

Troy's expression hardened. He was aware of his responsibility. There was no room to mess this up. There would be no second chances if he screwed this up. But he had hope. At least when he found Ryan, he would not be going to him empty handed. No longer would he give the boy false promises of a utopia. No. But he could at least let him know that things would be different. That Sharpay needed him. That she would welcome him back with open arms. _When _he found him, he would shower his ryan with kisses. He would kiss him senseless. He'd make love to him deeply, holding nothing back, telling him over and over how much he loved him, needed him, would die without him and the they would fall asleep, Troy holding his Ryan in his arms, not letting him go for any power in the universe. _When _he found him.

Troy did not consider _If_.

There was no room for _If_.

-Save Me-

Out of breath, Ryan dragged himself down the trail of gravel, limping with exhaustion. He had been pulled here by an unseen force. Here. to the park. His legs quaking, he stood by the lakeshore, the memories it had for him taking front and center in the central lobe of his brain.

He could hear Troy now as clearly as if he were there in person. "_This _is the perfect rock-skipping specimen."

And then, his own voice, light, carefree, speaking from a happier time. "Smooth, right?"

"_Perfecctly _smooth."

He smiled sadly to himself. The memory was there; engrained in the rocks and soil, whispering through the trees, reflected on the lake surface. The blond could almost feel the brunette behind him now, his strong upper body pressed against his backside, Troy's muscled arm guiding his lean arm back in order to ensure that he mastered the "perfect rock-skipping technique'.

Another memory replaced it.

"Don't be my hero," he could hear himself saying. "I'll never forgive myself if you get hurt."

"I won't get hurt," Troy promised him.

The words impacted him, the pain of a thousand knives plunging into his chest seized him. "But you did!" He cried out. "You did! And it's all my fault…" His voice broke, the outcry receding to a whimper. "It's all my fault!" His legs betrayed him and Ryan slumped to the ground in utmost defeat. "I can't fight. I can't go on anymore. I don't deserve to go on living….!" The boy's hands closed about an object. Peering at it, he found a rock sitting in his palm. Overcome, he pitched the stone, flinging it from his grasp and into the frigid lake, shattering the still surface.

He looked on in wonder as it sank quickly into the depths without a struggle. The peaceful demise of the stone seemed almost beautiful to him. and then he knew what he must do. He removed the fedora from his head and lay it tenderly down on the shore out of reach of hungrily lapping fingers. Forcing himself upright, he slid out of his shoes. It had cost his mother one hundred seventy five dollars to import them from France. _I'm not worth one hindered seventy five dollars. At least when I die, mom and dad can make compensation money off of my belongings. _

**A/N: I know, I'm evil. Reviews, anyone? **


	28. Chapter 28: Don't Let Me Drown

**A/N: I want to make this short, because I know people are anxious. This chapter is dedicated to AppleGirlin, who notified me of my evil cliffhanger courtesy of typing a message through tear-blurred vision. **

Chapter 28: Don't Let Me Drown

Despite all the time he spent around the swimming pool at Lava Springs either getting an eyeful of the supple upper bodies of the males on pool duty or lounging in chaise beside his sister, Ryan Evans had never learned how to swim. _I suppose that will come in handy here_, he thought with a bitter smile. He waded out, the frigid water seeping through his clothes. His instinct was to recoil. To stop. To turn back. He gave it no heed. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood up, goosebumps symbolizing the infiltration of the icy chill. But he hardly felt it. He was already so cold inside.

-Save Me-

Troy drove his truck, easily pushing the limits of the rustic vehicle. His mind was haphazard, his thoughts scattered and disorganized. He tried to narrow the mess into a single pinprick of thought. _Ryan. Concentrate on Ryan. _He couldn't think of the beautiful blond's form lying still, void of movement, of life. The thought made him ill. _Violently _ill. It tore his heart to shreds. _Where could he have gone? He was on foot and I'm sure his mind is a wreck right now. He _needs _me. Fuck, I _have _to find him! _An electroshock of pain shot along his forearm. As the cry to accompany it welled in his throat, it was silenced by images filling his mind. _Trees. Starlight. A crescent moon reflected on water… _"Water?" He exclaimed. And it hit him like a slap in the face, the force enough to send him reeling. He _knew _where Ryan was. The tires screeched against the pavement as he slammed down on the gas.

-Hurry-

Along the lakeshore lay a hat and a pair of polished black men's dress shoes. He knew without a doubt to whom the flashy apparel belonged. But where was the petite, demure blond theater king? "Ryan!" He called out, his voice rising in panic, cracking slightly on the second syllable of his lover's name.

-Sinking-

Suppressing his will to live, the blond let the water close over his head. Immediately, it rushed into his nostrils, filling them, infiltrating his lungs, denying him the oxygen essential for his survival. He saw no alternative. _This is the only way I can right what I have done. Everyone will be happier without me. _the lack of oxygen made him dizzy. Soon, his head swam with words.

_"I'm proud of you"_, Troy's voice relayed to him.

_"Ryan's only been a good thing for Troy"_, Chad proclaimed.

The voices raced through his head as his chest constricted, his pulse weakening.

_"I love you, too, Ryan Evans."_

_ "Ryan."_

_ "Ryan."_

Soon the voices became indiscernible. He could no longer differentiate between the various speakers as they all chanted his name over and over, his life, his whirlwind, dysfunctional, completely and absolutely _beautiful _relationship with Troy Bolton, the love of his meaningless life flashed before his eyes on a video screen within his mind. While something within weakened, faltered, something else began to strengthen. He realized that maybe, just maybe, people needed him. And maybe he wasn't so insignificant.

_"You're so beautiful… I'm all yours."_

_ "Ryan!"_

_ "Ryan?"_

_ "Ry."_

A voice that had been buried within him, forgotten, neglected, imprisoned, broke free and it roared in a surge of defiance, overpowering and downing out all the others. It instructed him to do what he had been denying himself the right to all this time. It ordered that he put his guilt and illogical hatred of himself away in one simple syllable that was powerful enough to override everything else. _"LIVE!"_

And propelling himself to the surface, that is what he fought to do. Thrashing his arms widely, he managed to take a minuscule gasp of air before the weight of his sopping garments dragged him back under.

The fraction of a second he was able to break surface allowed Troy to spot the boy's signature Evans blond hair. And without a second thought, the brunette athlete began wading out into the lake, water soaking through his sneakers, ruining his socks and the interior of his shoes. He couldn't give a shit. As he reached the center of the body of water, he plunged in.

Ryan could make out the form of the boy he loved with all of his heart, the god of East High, his beautiful Troy, brunette hair flowing around him. the image was so ethereal, the blond almost deemed it a fabrication until he felt the other boy's arm close around his waist, pulling both of them up.

Together, they emerged, coughing, spluttering. Their bodies touched and Ryan realized that he had longed to feel Troy's body against his once more. Longed for it with intensity great enough to make him weep. Soon, they flopped side by side on the shore, their sodden bodies strewn out. For a moment, they remained that way, chests heaving in search of replenishing oxygen to their lungs.

Lying there, Ryan let the sound of Troy's breathing, a sound that he had greatly missed, mesmerize him, calm him as it instilled a tranquility over his pounding heart. Their breath rates eased, falling into synch.

The moment transpired. The blond turned to his brunette lover. His blue eyes sparkled with love and starlight, the smile that had nearly been lost forever, that brightened the room with its radiance decorating his soft pink lips. "You didn't let me drown."

Troy shifted his weight, returning the smile with one that warmed Ryan's body, diluting the shivers that wracked it continuously. The athlete drew the performer in, bridging the gap that had formed between them.

Ryan gasped, stifling a whimper of delight as the essence of the beautiful boy enveloped him. How he needed this. How he missed this. Their two separate souls were one once more.

"I didn't, Ry." Troy pressed his forehead to his lover's. Their eyes locked and as always, Ryan could see the truth there, clear as day in his beloved's ocean blue eyes. No, Troy merely rescued him once he had been provided with the outlet to do so. "You didn't let yourself drown."

With a sigh, Ryan melted, wrapping his arms tightly around Troy. _My hero. My salvation. _He thanked the boy wordlessly. _Thank you, Troy… For giving me the strength to live again. _

They stayed that way for but a moment longer until they rose together. Troy offered Ryan his hand. "Let's go home, baby."

Ryan took the hand, smiling as he leaned into the boy's virile form. "I'd like that." Remembering his discarded items, he retrieved them. He slid into his shoes and placed the hat back on his head, declaring to himself and the world, which to him was a magnificently smiling Troy Bolton, that he had a right to exist. That he was a son, a brother, a lover, a performer, and a sexy as hell one at that. That he was Ryan Evans, a person.

In one smooth movement, he tilted the brim of the fedora and slid his hand back into the golden boy's. "Today, Ryan Evans will live."

Troy couldn't grin wider if he tried."Today and everyday after."

Then, in perfect unison, looking into one another's eyes, they added the phrase that solidified the declaration, that gave it sustenance. The phrase that defined the very essence of their union; "Now and forever."


	29. Chapter 29: Healed

**A/N: I apologize for not updating this in so long. **Introspective has become my top priority. I have not, however, forgotten about my magnum opus. So here we are, the next chapter of Ryan's recovery.

Chapter 29: Healed

A blubbering, sobbing Sharpay flung her arms around her brother, burying her face in his chest.

Ryan draped his arms around his sister, soothing her as his voice lilted gently. "It's alright, Sis."

"God, Ryan, I was so stupid!… I'm so sorry! Oh, _please_ forgive me!"

He laid his chin against her hair, letting the scent fill his nostrils. The familiar gesture was enough to revoke what she had done. It served to inform both of them that in spite of the hellish events of months prior, the contempt, the neglect, the scorn, he was no longer a stranger to her. They were siblings once more. "I forgive you, Shar."

The blonde female looked up, her brown eyes shimmering with tearful remorse. "Things are going to be different, Ryan," she sniffed. "You're so precious to me, I-I'll never lose you again!"

The rift between them was sealed and the hole in Ryan's heart was filled.

His mother was the next one to draw him into an embrace, fussing over him the way a mother should, telling him that she would fetch him a piping hot cup of tea and ordering him and Troy both to change out of their sopping wet garments before they both got pneumonia.

His father, Vance, gave the boy a one armed hug, removing his hat and ruffling his son's blond hair.

Ryan thought his heart would burst with joy. All of the tension had simply dissolved, the fear of losing him for eternity enough to open their eyes, enough to make them recall how much they all loved him.

Troy was next to receive a hearty welcome and immeasurable thanks. Derby Evans held the boy tightly, expressing gratitude for him taking such good care of her "ducky".

The athlete vowed solemnly that he would continue to do so in the future, which earned him a tighter squeezing.

Sharpay eyed the golden boy warily, both of them recalling his harsh choice of words he had used in order to try to get through to her. She was now thoroughly more composed than she had been minutes before, but tears still stained her face along with smudged mascara.

Troy found that she did not avert her gaze and his anger toward her was displaced.

"I owe you one."

It was so quiet, Troy thought he had misheard until he saw the sincerity in the girl's brown orbs. A faint smile broke out on his face. "I'll hold you to that."

Mr. Evans gave him a jovial slap on the back, offering him the world. Troy declined, desiring only Ryan's happiness.

"Your parents must be very proud of you," the older man ventured.

Catching the eye of his lover, both boys shared a smile. "Yes sir," Troy affirmed. "They are."

- - Don't Let Me Drown- -

After the commotion had died down, Ryan laid on the sofa in the den, clad in his silk powdered blue robe. His head rested on the chest of his beloved, his Troy, who wore one of Ryan's father's robes. The blond boy's cat, Hollybell lay purring in his lap. Eyes half-closed, drowsy with unadulterated bliss, the petite boy nearly purred himself as his lover ran a large, warm hand through his hair, massaging his scalp. Down his neck, along his spine to the extent of his reach.

"Thank you, Troy," he murmured. "I can't thank you enough for all that you've done." He looked up at the boy, his blue eyes half-lidded.

"Sure you can," Troy remarked. "Just love me, stay with me, and be happy." His exploring hand came to a stop and gently squeezed the boy's lean shoulder.

Ryan smiled to himself. "Anything for you."

Hollybell settled himself more comfortably and his master snuggled into his lover's chest. Both boys were at peace with the world. The atmosphere around them was warm, hazy, and thick with sleep. And after the day's harrowing ordeal, sleep was exactly what they needed.

His irrational terror of losing Troy once he was a person again dispelled by promises pledged and the request of the god-like boy, Ryan let himself drift off, smiling serenely. He knew at last that he was safe, warm and whole in the arms of the one he loved. He knew as well that when he awoke, he would have a reality worth waking up to. "'Night, Troy," he murmured, unable to hold off his exhausted body's need for slumber.

"'Night, Ry." Troy smiled. His work was done. Now he could be what he wanted to be; a full-time lover as opposed to a part-time miracle worker. His cheek against the arm rest, their poses were identical to the ones assumed at the end of the summer and the beginning of their mind-blowing relationship. He closed his eyes, placated by the knowledge that his baby was safe.

Together, they exhaled simultaneously before slipping off into a peaceful slumber.

**A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter is so short. I assure there is more to come. I plan on getting the rest of this up once I'm out of school for the summer. **

**The story is not over yet, dear readers. Leave a review and let me know what you thought. **


	30. Chapter 30: DS Al Coda

**A/N: Here it is, and after such a long time. I know the update is short, but I have been busy working on other projects. I apologize. I've been mulling over the idea of getting this story published. I have names I could use as replacements for the majority of the main cast's, with the exception of Ryan and Troy, who will be keeping their first names. How many of you are on board with this? Would you guys like to buy your own copy of this story to own and would you be thrilled at seeing it on bookshelves? Let me know. Obviously, there will be some edits made, but nothing too drastic. Leave a review, sharing your thoughts with me, okay? Because you know without your support, I don't think I would have finished this. **

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything recognizable. Now, onward!

Chapter 30: D.S. Al Coda

A hand ran tenderly across Ryan's porcelain cheek. The touch, warm, loving, roused him quietly. His eyes fluttered open as he stretched his sleep-stiffened muscles. H was greeted by the sight of Troy's divine sun-kissed visage, his white teeth reflecting the sunlight as his pink lips parted in a smile. "Morning, sleepy-head."

"Morning." Ryan smiled softly, warmth filling his chest cavity.

The glow the sun cast on his lover's shimmering ivory flesh as it filtered through the curtains made Troy's heart flutter in the manner of a school girl. "How does living feel?" He asked, pulling the smaller boy into an embrace.

"Wonderful," Ryan replied, nuzzling into his partner's chest. "And as long as I wake up to see you every morning…" he let a contented sigh pass from his lips. "It can never be anything less."

"Mm, here's to that."

The blond gave the brunette a loving kiss on the mouth, incapable of summoning the words adequate for conveying his gratitude. He relished the tingling that danced along his lips as they were pressed to Troy's. His arms wrapped about the boy, clutching him tightly. _I'll never let you go_, he vowed to himself, _never again. _

_ - -_Don't Let Me Drown- -

The two males leaned against the shabby pick-up, waiting patiently as a pink convertible decorated with the "SE" insignia that belonged to Sharpay parked itself in the EHS parking lot. They watched as the blonde female and her passenger stepped out of the car.

"Hey, Troy." Zeke Baylor nodded to his friend and captain.

The brunette returned the greeting with a wave and a smile.

"Hey, Ryan."

Ryan regarded the tall athlete with a smile. Zeke had never been truly unkind to him, and in order to live, the blond had made the decision that he would let bygones be bygones. The only reminder that he wanted of the past four months was at his side, thumb poking into the back pocket of his jeans, tracing circles on his pert rear as he flushed delightedly at the action.

Sharpay joined them, coming up on Zeke's side. Pulling out a pair of oversized, pink-rimmed sunglasses, she slid them effortlessly up the bridge of her nose. "Ready, brother dear?"

Extracting his own pair of dark-tinted shades, Ryan mirrored his sister. "Ready."

The two pairs entered the building as if they were Hollywood superstars strolling the red carpet. They instantly became the focus of their peers' attention. Ryan and Troy matched one another's stride, radiating confidence and fully nonchalant even as they were gaped and gawked at. Without breaking stride, the couple that was the talk of the halls cuddled closer together, their message unmistakable; _This is who we are. You'll never change it. If you don't like it, you can look the other way. _

_ - -_Back From the Dead- -

Gabriella was in drama rehearsals that day. Her ankle, which had been sprained just as Troy's arm had been in the "incident", was bandaged. Allison waited on her hand and foot and it came as no surprise to either Ryan or Troy how close the girls had gotten after the dark-haired scholar and her "partner in crime", Chace Cooper, had mutually broken things off.

"They just lost interest in each other," was the justification Kelsi and Martha had given the two boys when they asked.

_I can see why_, Ryan mused to himself as Gabriella beamed at the younger girl, more bubbly and "Gabriella-esque" than he had seen her since the early months of the summer.

"Weird, huh?" his lover's tenor-baritone broke in.

Following Troy's blue gaze, the performer realized he was speaking of the two girls as well. "It's not anymore weird than us."

"I like us "weird"!" The taller boy gave his boyfriend a playful nudge. ""Weird is what makes us "us"!"

Ryan looked him over, his gaze soft, his heart on overflow, liquefying his muscles, his bones and transforming the rest of his organs to gooey mush. "I wouldn't have "us" any other way." Gracefully he leaned in and captured the athlete's lips with his own. His flesh tingled enticingly in what became, to his disappointment, an all too ephemeral kiss.

"Ryan!" He heard his sister call. To anyone else, her voice held the signature demanding note of East High's self-proclaimed queen.

But to Ryan alone, a softness was discernible. He detected her fear of doing or saying something to upset him, her mind-numbing terror of him taking off and inflicting something irreversible upon himself.

"Kelsi and I need your assistance with our choreography."

The male twin glanced back at his lover, reflexively seeking permission, encouragement.

Troy gave a lopsided grin in recognition of this. "Go on. I'll be here."

A mega watt smile breaking out on his face, Ryan turned on his polished heels. He found himself blowing a kiss at the brunette golden boy which was caught and clasped tightly before being stowed away in his pocket.

Since Gabriella was rendered nearly useless as a performer due to her injury, she couldn't stand for any duration of time, let alone dance without letting out pained yelps, Sharpay had put word in and "presto" got Kelsi as a replacement.

Yes, Ryan felt a surge of guilt whenever he saw the girl in such a pitiful state and his heart was leadened whenever he looked upon the dark, hideous blots that marred Troy's golden forearm. It required coaxing and low murmurs of reassurance from his partner before he would warily, adroitly ghost his fingers over the appendage. But, no one blame him for the deed. Chace's name was the one that was whispered as Allison and Gabriella walked side by side, the younger auburn haired girl assisting the elder with hr books. Chace was the name Chad muttered death threats under his breath at while vigorously stabbing his fork into his tray.

It was by a stroke of divine intervention that Troy was able to make the basketball team. Ryan could never remember a time that he had hoped so fervently an athlete would prove successful at his profession. Although the tryouts were closed, Coach Bolton had allowed his son's boyfriend to watch, if only to give his son the moral support he needed. Ryan would never forget the rush he felt as he flung his arms about the brunette, the pair of them grinning like idiots after the execution of a flawless jump shot.

Troy was so suave and laid back his injury. He merely shrugged it off as though it was a minor inconvenience, rather than a cumbersome hindrance. "So I have to be reliant on my left hand for a while, it's no big deal. I have you, and that's all that matters." He had then let out a _pft _of laughter. "Although it wouldn't have killed me to have taught myself to be ambidextrous when I was younger."

The petite boy thought to himself, _Troy is the most immaculate lover I ever could have asked for. He's sweet, romantic, funny… I'm one lucky fruitcake! _He could feel his lips curling up into a dopey, positively inebriated smile of pure, thick, oozing love. _I'll never take him for granted. He's my heart, my soul, my-_

"Ryan!" There was a click as his sister snapped her freshly manicured fingers under his nose.

His posture straightened reflexively in accordane to Sharpay's will.

"You're more in tune with this "Lady Gaga" garbage than I am."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Lady Gaga was voted _the _break out star of the year in 2009 by _Rolling Stone Magazine_. _Obviously _her music isn't garbage." He folded his arms, a trifle upset with his sibling's choice of words. "_I _would be honored to sing one of her songs. They're raw and illustrate the nit and grit of the real world."

Sharpay responded with a blank and inattentive stare. "That's lovely, brother dear. Now can we get _back _to the real world? As you know, we have a show in less than a week's time."

_That's my sis_, he thought. _You can count on Shar to prioritize herself. _Switching into autopilot, Ryan found the banter between himself and his twin to be comforting. It re-established the bond between them that the rift had nearly consumed. There was nothing falsified, nothing _forced _about their interactions anymore and this relieved him immeasurably. True, it was not going to be easy to let the ghastly events that had transpired to merely be "forgotten". It would be a long time before he could bury them all away. _But, I no longer hate myself. I don't want to die anymore… and… _His gaze shifted to Troy, the boy that he owed everything to. _I have Troy. I don't have to dream about living a better life. Yes, it will require refurbishing and nurturing, but a better life is mine. _Everything was starting over anew. Time can heal most all wounds.

If he closed his eyes, Ryan could almost pretend those hellish months never happened.


	31. Chapter 31: Mine

Chapter 31: Mine

Troy Bolton closed his bedroom door behind him, turning the lock. When it clicked, he smiled, satisfied. No one could disturb them.

Letting out a sigh, Ryan let his messenger bag slide to the floor along with the books that he _insisted _on carrying for the athlete, as the other boy's injury prohibited any heavy-lifting.

Hearing the sigh, Troy whirled to face his petite lover. "Long day, huh?"

The blond male nodded. "Dealing with Sharpay can be tiresome, but it's a great improvement on her denying my existence."

Troy couldn't argue with that. _Bitch though she may be, Ryan loves his sister, and somewhere inside, she loves him just as much. _Traversing his floor, he walked over to his lover and sat on the bed, patting the sheets invitingly.

Ryan felt an upward tug on his lips as he joined Troy on the bed. Settling beside the brunette, he nestled into the boy's firm upper body. As strong arms wrapped about him, he found himself face-to-face with the ghastly discoloration on Troy's right limb that was slowly, _slowly_, beginning to fade away. In the dark corners of his subconscious, the sound of his lover's earth-shattering scream of agony lingered, haunting him.

"It's really not as bad as it looks," the basketball player's tenor baritone assured him.

Ryan's breath hitched in his throat, but he said nothing. He didn't trust himself to. Not yet. As he silenced himself, however, an urge that he could not suppress began to well up in him. He wanted to touch Troy's arm. Although well aware that he possessed no supernatural healing abilities, he was certain that, if he touched the bruises, the grotesque blotches of purple blue and green, they would somehow diminish and vanish.

Troy's gaze was on him, studying his visage. He met that gaze, requesting permission that he didn't need. It was granted to him anyway in the form of a partial nod. Delicately, the blond lifted a finger and brought it down so that it lightly grazed the hairs on the brunette's forearm, causing them to stand up.

Troy shivered pleasurably at the contact and Ryan took this as encouragement to continue. Gently, ever so gently, he ran his slender finger along the limb, tracing the vile blotches in a cautionary fashion. He held his breath.

Another nod from the athletic boy told him that he had not caused any harm.

Ryan exhaled. As he drew in another breath, he summoned every bit of his courage. _I won't break him_, he told himself. _I won't_. He pressed down, administering the slightest bit of pressure with his thumb as he traced a circuit on the limb, his ivory thumb pressed against the sun-kissed gold of the other boy's skin.

A soft groan escaped the brunette's throat.

Wincing, Ryan inquired softly, "Does that hurt?" He was ready to retract his hands in an instant if they had done something so criminal.

"No," Troy assured him, smiling faintly.

Ryan felt lost for an instant, a feeling overwhelming him, causing him to suddenly bite back tears.

"It's alright." Troy murmured, always attune to his partner's shifts of mood. With his free hand, he removed the boy's hat and stroked through tufts of his soft blond hair.

Regaining his composure from the gesture, Ryan shot his lover a look of gratitude and wiped furiously at his eyes, not knowing what had come over him. He returned his focus to the appendage. Inhaling, he increased the pressure, leniently rubbing the sore arm. He felt himself flushing slightly at the tensing of the muscles beneath the tanned flesh and the groan emitted to accompany it. Blood rushed to the south of his belt. He was aware of the other boy's eyes being affixed to him.

Sure enough, when he glanced up, this was confirmed. Troy gazed back at him, his half-lidded blue eyes sparkling.

The flush on Ryan's face darkened and he suppressed a moan.

Troy moved, hesitating for but a moment when his face was mere centimeters away. His oceanic eyes looked the blond over, as if to affirm the boy was really alright, and then he captured Ryan's lips with his own. The contact was gentle at first, tender. Then, a soft sigh of contentment escaped the blond and he leaned in, permitting the intrusion of his boyfriend's tongue. The muscle glided across his lower row of teeth before twining with the other pink muscle that awaited it.

Gradually breaking off, the athlete stared into the actor's eyes. "Ryan…" he murmured, tilting the boy's chin up. "Ryan, I'm so _proud _of you!" He kissed his jawline, his neckline.

Ryan's body trembled with rapture. "Troy…" Oh, how he had wanted this. How he had been missing this closeness, this feeling of union. Leaning in for another kiss, he lifted the brunette boy's shirt and busied his wandering hands with tantalizing the golden flesh of his supple upper body, rubbing over his nipples and stroking his pectorals and shoulder blades. All the while, their tongues danced together.

Troy could feel the blond theater king's breathing grow irregular, He recognized it for what it was and acknowledged that he, too, had longed for this. The simple contact of an arm rub had ignited the fire of need to partake in something much greater. Pulling away, he threw his shirt off.

Ryan's eyes fell to the boy's chest and he latched onto a nipple, licking around it, grazing it lightly with his teeth, before taking it into his mouth. Straddling his lover's hips, Troy let out a groan that filled the room. While he undid Ryan's belt buckle, the petite boy nipped at his throat, his Adam's apple, his collar bone. The brunette boy flushed in pleasure, grunting and huffing with both the effort of the task at hand and the feelings the blond stirred within him. At last, he pulled the belt free of the buckle and at that moment, Ryan returned his attention to the now pointed and reddened bud.

As time elapsed, the garments clothing their lower bodies found themselves being cast to the floor. Ryan slid nearly effortlessly out of his dress shirt once Troy had undone the last button with his teeth. The brunette boy pressed his lips to the blond's temple, whispering proclamations of undying love meant for Ryan's ears alone. His member slick and glistening with lubrication, Troy slid in, entering the actor with a considerate motion of his pelvis. Heat flowed between their joined bodies.

Ryan let out a soft moan. He clung to Troy's back, encouraging him.

Gazing upon the soft face of the male twin, seeing him so flushed, his eyes so full of love, his body renewed, Troy's heart overflowed. The overflow spilled into his nether regions, fueling his libido. He thrusted again. He loved Ryan. Loved him so much. "Ohh, God, Ryan!"

"Troooy… !" Ryan's grip on the basketball player's shoulder blades tightened. "Harder… Deeper, please. I… need you!"

Obliging, Troy bucked forward.

Ryan squirmed beneath him, riding his length. As their bodies merged, the value of the experience was immense. They had not realized how intense their concupiscence, their yearning for one another had ultimately become until obstacles had come between them, nearly severing the bond they had forged forever. Cries of ecstasy from both of them reverberated off of the walls.

_No trophy… no title… no material thing can compare. _"Ohhh, Ryaaaan!"

"Troy! Aahh! Trooooy!" Ryan felt heat burn at the tip of his member, and as it concentrated there, he realized that this feeling of completeness, of wholeness, this experience that he cherished with every fibre of his being would end all too soon.

Troy grunted, energy exiting his form as he exerted himself to give maximum pleasure with what he had left. Perspiration soaked his bangs, dripping down his front.

Seeing this, Ryan clung fast to the boy and gyrated his hips, his voice nearly a whimper as he encouraged his lover. "That's it! Yes, Troy! Yes! Right… _there!" _Troy's beautiful dick had brushed Ryan's "spot". And brushed it again, and again, and again. "Ohh!"

That did it. With a final thrust, Troy climaxed, shooting his load into Ryan. The sensation of the hot semen inside of him made Ryan come, stars dancing behind his eyes as he rocked his pelvis, his seed spurting onto the brunette athlete's toned chest and stomach. He up stared at the viscous ivory fluid, entranced by the contrast against his lover's tanned complexion, _It's me… I'm all over Troy…_

With a weary smile, Troy buckled, snuggling on top of him, his manhood still in balls deep.

A half-grunt escaped Ryan as he met the golden boy's sparkling ocean blue eyes. He knew his own expression must be a mirror image; elation. Bliss. Their chests were full with something, and the air around them was thick with it. Stroking Troy's silken locks of brown, Ryan pressed his nose to the male's cheek, letting out a contented sigh. "You aren't going to clean up?" He asked.

"In a little bit. I like feeling you all over me."

Ryan's lips quivered slightly. If he smiled any wider, he was certain that the seams holding his face together would come undone. Closing his eyes, he relayed to the other boy sotto voce, "I love you, Troy. I love you. I don't want you to be anyone else's but mine."

He felt the movements of his love's facial muscles as the brunette beamed. "As long as you're mine, I don't want to belong to anyone else."

The blond boy's breathing eased. Eventually, he felt Troy get up and leave him for a moment. The chill of the air hitting his nude form shocked him, but, as always, the taller boy quickly returned to him and cleaned both of them off. Once this was finished, they drew the blankets about themselves and each other and snuggled tightly together.

A soft groan left Troy as he nestled into the pillows.

The moment Ryan put his head to his love's chest, his consciousness began slipping away. He let the blackness of sleep steal into his mind and send him safely off. A final murmur of love was on his lips. _Troy makes me so happy. I owe him everything. I'm so glad he's mine. _

Embracing the delicate boy, Troy ran a hand down Ryan's body. He could feel the blond's ribs under his skin, and the slight indent of them was visible, but one could not count them with the aid of sight alone. If Troy were to trace his lover's spine, yes, he would be able to feel each individual bump on his spinal column, but the ugly bruises that had marred his creamy flesh had faded, leaving him nearly unblemished. _Almost like none of this ever happened. _Holding the younger Evans in his arms, the boy was almost overwhelmed by what he felt, like earlier. _I don't want anyone else to ever see him in this vulnerable state. Protecting Ryan is _everything _to me, and I won't let anyone else get in the way. I'm his guardian. I'm _his. _And he's mine. _His oceanic blue eyes gleamed with the resolution.


	32. Chapter 32: Payback

**A/N: It's been a while since I last updated this, huh? My sincerest apologies. I've been busy preparing this story for publication, which it will hopefully see, soon. Of course, alterations had to be made, but it is ultimately the same story, which I hope you guys will be willing to purchase from a store whenever "Don't Let Me Drown" gets published and hits the market. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to the "High School Musical" franchise. All related characters and locations are © of Disney.**

Chapter 32: Payback

The halls were filled with the shrill ringing of bells. Students poured out into the hallways. With one strap of his book bag slung over his shoulder, Troy left his Pre-Calc class, muttering discontentedly under his breath.

Not long ago, Ryan had despaired over not comprehending the subject material. Being the ever dutiful boyfriend, Troy offered to assist him. Now, the brunette athlete found himself unable to grasp the concept of graphing exponential equations and quadratic polynomials, or whatever they were. He nearly laughed as he recalled something Chad had said, when their tests were passed back.

The bushy-haired athlete had let loose a groan of protest at the angry red "F" scored across the top of his paper. "Whoever invented this crap should have been strung up by their sac and sentenced to hang!"

While the teacher hadn't been so accommodating, Troy had cringed jestingly, pleased with his then, B-minus. "Ooh, _harsh_, dude."

In the present day, he more than agreed with his friend's sentiments. "Strung up, sentenced to hang, _and _drawn and quartered!" He added with fervency. The athlete made his way down the hall, moving his legs in long, swift strides, eager to see his trim, petite lover. Of course, Fate was notorious for pulling the wildcard.

Chace Cooper stepped out of the chemistry classroom. "Bolton," the slim brunette sneered. Contempt flashed in his hazel eyes.

"What do you want?" Troy inquired, his tone mild in spite of the fury that inflamed his innards.

"Do you know what I want?" Chace drew forward and the sea of students disappeared as the bodies that composed it diverged, trickling into their designated classrooms.

A glance around confirmed it; the golden boy and the boy hellbent on ruining him, were the only ones left in the hallways. The air about them crackled in anticipation of flinging fists.

"I want to see your "pretty" face so bloodied up, it's beyond recognition!" Chace snarled, stepping into Troy and giving the basketball player a shove.

Troy maintained his balance, his hackles rising at the assault. It would take a lot more to throw his momentum out of whack, but he couldn't be too sure just how much power the other boy was packing, and with his arm still messed up…"Look, Chace," he started slowly. "I don't know what your deal is, but you need to chill the fuck out. You need to think very carefully about the next thing you do. I'm the school's star basketball player. The principal loves me. You make a move against me, and _you're _the one who's going to-!"

His words only seemed to rile Chace incomprehensibly as the leaner boy dove forward, attempting to tackle Troy to the ground. Just barely keeping his footing, Troy extended his arms and seized Chace by the wrists. Chace struggled to escape, squirming and writhing, using his fury to torque Troy's wrists.

Gritting his teeth to bite back a cry of pain, Troy wondered how much longer he could hold out before Chace would be employing his deep seeded contempt to live up to his threat.

- - Don't Let Me Drown- -

Inside of the auditorium, Ryan was in the process of playing _Canon in D_, his slender fingers elegantly pressing down on the keys with precision and refined expertise after years of developing the skill. He busied himself with playing the lovely melody while waiting for Troy.

With the performance that would give them their grade for the first nine weeks of the semester in Drama right around the corner, they needed the time to fine tune several steps in their choreography. _Troy's a little unsteady on the ball change in the second measure. And the timing of our shuffles could stand for a bit of tweaking, but other than that, we're pretty much set_, Ryan noted to himself. A spark of confidence warmed his insides.

The other groups had been asking him for advice on how to jazz-up their own performances. While he appreciated being recognized for his abilities in the art of dance, he almost regretted being unable to rely on his ability to blend into the crowd and disappear.

_It's still difficult. To deal with people, sometimes. _His peers could be so boisterous, and, at times, he unwittingly exchanged the clamor for mocking jeers. He was terrified that they would ask him questions, reminding him of what he wanted only to put behind him. _I almost wish I was still invisible to them. _There was only one person at school that he felt truly comfortable with, the person who had seen all of him, and accepted it without question.

As he played out the final chords, letting their sound resonate before dying out, the lack of his partner began to eat at him. "Where is Troy?" He wondered out loud. Dropping his hands from the keys, he sat back on the stool, his eyelids falling pensively over his eyes. He remained that way for a moment, attempting to expand his consciousness. _Utilize the mystical ability of spiritual location_, he mused.

Despite his antics, Ryan was well aware that he was no psychic, he possessed no supernatural abilities. He was only human, and his human instincts told him that Troy's tardiness had a cause. A red flag was raised and an alarm flared. His pulse racing, he jumped put of his seat and sprinted down the aisle and out through the double doors.

Fear hit him with the force of frigid water splashing into his face and soaking through his clothes, chilling him internally. He had been here before. It had been but a week ago that he had traced this path, rushing to Troy's aid only to find his lover laying broken beneath a box. He could still picture it, every heart- wrenching detail seared into his brain.

But now. _Now_, would be different. He was presented with the opportunity to rectify the situation before it became irreparable. _I fucked up once, but not this time. As long as there is life in my body, I won't, I _can't _let anything break you twice! Break you, or break _us_!_

- -Hurry- -

Troy took a step back as his ailing limb failed him. He felt his bruised arm throbbing, but there was no time to tend to it.

It was Chace who threw the first punch, just as predicted. Troy just managed to dodge it by swerving out of the way at the last minute. Another jab was aimed at his throat. Ducking out of the line of fire, the jock wrapped his arms around the other boy's midsection, trying to immobilize him. Again, his arm proved to be a liability.

Chace struggled once more. He rammed his elbow back into Troy's taut stomach.

Troy grimaced. His brain sent out a frantic message to his arms to let go. His body responded with his pulse quickening and adrenaline levels skyrocketing. Relinquishing his grip, he stepped back.

Chace advanced on him, slamming the golden boy into the set of lockers adjacent to them. "Just you wait, you _faggot_." He brought his knee upward, jamming it into the taller boy's groin.

Troy barely stifled a groan, his eyes watering. _Fuck_.

"When I'm done with you," Chace growled near his ear, "I'm going to fuck up that limp-wristed, sashaying _boyfriend_ of yours. Yank on his blond hair. Slam him into lockers. And maybe, he'll like it, that dirty little cum bucket."

That was it. Rage scored throughout Troy's body. He flung Chace off, the mist of tears replaced by a red haze. "You shut your fucking mouth!" He roared. Charging forward, he pinned the green-eyed boy into the lockers.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Chace spat, kicking Troy in the shins. His fist collided with the athlete's cheek.

Unleashing a cry of pain and outrage, Troy reached for Chace's fists, grappling with him the best he could. Breaking free again, Chace seized a clump of Troy's hair and yanked on it, tossing him into the opposite row of lockers.

Before Troy had time to recover from the impact of his shoulder blade hitting the metal door of the locker, Chace was on him. Hate darkened the lean brunette's eyes, contracting his pupils into slits of abhor. He took Troy by the collar of his shirt and slammed him into the lockers.

The golden boy clenched his teeth, nearly biting his tongue as pain shot through his body. He struggled as hard as he could, but it was futile. Chace tightened his hold, constricting his windpipe, and cutting off the oxygen supply to the athlete's lungs. Troy's back repeatedly met the red painted metal of the locker, the sensation shooting along his spine, his skull. His vision swam and nausea assaulted him. The laceration was unrelenting. He could feel himself slipping away, sinking, even as he fought to stay afloat. Black spots danced before his eyes.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he became aware that the intense discomfort had been ameliorated. _"Troy!" _He heard a muffled voice calling to him. _"Troy, please stay with me!" _It was panicked, but familiar.

His vision gradually clearing, wearily, he looked up. A pair of sky colored eyes set in a soft, fair face came into focus. Stretched wide with terror, they peered into his own. He attached an identity, a name to their owner, his rescuer. His lover. "_Ryan_."

Those blue eyes, burning with concern, looked him over, surveying the damage. "Oh, Troy. I should've gotten here sooner! I-!" Lean arms swept Troy into an embrace, drawing him into the silky, shimmering material that covered the performer's shuddering chest. A muffled sob sounded next to the brunette boy's ear.

Still slightly dazed, Troy looked past Ryan to find Chace lying sprawled out on the floor, unmoving, and easily inferred after a moment's examination, that the overly aggressive boy was unconscious. There was no doubt in his mind who was responsible. Warmth swelled in his chest at the thought.

Ryan's delicate hand stroked through the athlete's silky hair. "It's alright, Troy," he choked out, his steady voice cracking as the revelation sank in. "It's going to be okay…!"

Troy felt tears sting his eyes. His chest swelled with adulation for the blond male. In spite of everything, Ryan had proved strong enough to take Chace out. _He's stronger than _me! _And here he is, comforting me when… when he's the one who needs comforting. _He raised his arms, wrapping them around the theater king's slender form. "You _saved _me," he managed with a smile. "Ryan, it's alright. You saved me."

"I-I had to…" The smaller boy's voice dwindled off. "I _had _to!" He repeated, his self-control abandoning him as he faced the significance of his deed. He had knocked a boy unconscious, he had physically harmed another human being with strength that frightened him. But it was for Troy. He had done it to save Troy.

"I know you did." As soon as Troy uttered those words, validating everything, the dam broke. Every emotion that had been repressed, surged forth, sweeping them up in its tide. Tears spilled over Troy's eyes, running down his cheeks and Ryan's body shuddered with sobs, tears streaming down his porcelain face and dampening his dress shirt. All that they had been through, all of the insane ups and downs of their relationship, the unthinkable that had nearly happened, all of it was relived through every tear shed.

And with Chace down, the struggle would be over. They would go to Troy's father who would take the situation straight to Principal Matsui. Then it would be Chace's word against that of East High's golden boy and theater king. Just like Troy had threatened earlier, Chace was going to pay the consequences. _It's one of the _only _advantages of being "one of the divine"_, Troy mused drily to himself.

Several moments passed. The flow of their tears ceased. Troy wiped away the remaining ones on Ryan's face. "Thank you," he murmured.

"You don't need to thank me," Ryan remarked. His chest was suddenly so much lighter. The two of them emerged, not unscathed, but victorious all the same. They would not bask in the glory and spills of victory quite yet. Instead, the blond let out an awkward chuckle. "Look at us, look at _me._ I look utterly ridiculous, like a soap opera reject, sobbing on the hallway floor in school." He wiped at his reddened eyes, a wry smile on his face.

Troy's gaze flitted over the boy's smooth face, taking in his red, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. He imagined that his own face mirrored his blond partner's. He saw past the aftermath of the crying episode and his eyes were met with the roundness of Ryan's cheeks, a welcome contrast to the gauntness that had greeted them at the end of the summer. He saw the sparkle in Ryan's eyes, a brilliant luster that reflected the illumination of his soul. Could that face, those eyes belong to the same boy who, not even a month before, had resigned himself to wasting away, awaiting a sweep of Death's scythe to remove him from the earth? The boy who's gaze had been listless and hollow? It seemed unfathomable, and yet, it was all that the brunette basketball player ever could have asked for. "Ryan, you look absolutely _breathtaking_," he said, with the merest hint of incredulity to his voice.

"'Breathtaking', huh?" Ryan brushed fresh tears, ones that Troy recognized as tears of happiness, from his eyes, smiling slightly. He let out a peculiar laugh. "I probably look like a damn mess."

"Not to me." Troy cupped the blond's chin, tilting it as he pressed a kiss to the other boy's candied lips. "You're beautiful, Ry. _Always_."

Ryan's eyes glowed, the words making his heart liquefy and his stomach flip over.

With a noise between a groan and a sigh, Troy made to lay his battered body against the lockers. He was physically and emotionally exhausted, and nothing sounded better to him than drifting off to sleep.

Ryan would have none of it. "No you don't. You could have a serious concussion. Here." Sitting himself upright, he situated himself near the lockers and patted his shoulder, indicating that it serve as a pillow to the athlete.

Troy inquired, "You sure babe?", more than aware of his muscle mass.

"I couldn't be more sure if I tried. I want you to stay awake and talk to me, okay?"

"Alright." Troy leaned against Ryan's shoulder, his cheek resting against the silky material covering it. "That bastard wanted to freaking attack you after he dealt with me," he said, his lips curling and nose crinkling as though he had tasted something particularly foul. "I did everything I could to hold him off."

"You did everything you could," Ryan interjected gently, his heart thudding at the thought of the merciless whaling he had seen. There was nothing Troy could have done in that position. "My brave warrior, my protector, fallen in the line of duty," he fretted, his inflection taking on a slight English accent. "I shall seek out the aid of the finest medical practitioners in all the land to nurse you back to health."

Troy laughed in spite of himself and the stinging on his cheek. "Never you fear, my handsome prince." He, too, took up the English accent only to drop it as he assured the boy, "I'll be fine tomorrow."

Ryan shook his head, an amused smile curling the ends of his pink-lipped mouth.

Troy picked up the accent once more. "I entrust my body to your capable hands."

The performer blushed at the double-meaning of the basketball captain's words. Under any other circumstance, he might have playfully swatted at the boy for ruining the mood, but he simply couldn't bring himself to this time. His heart melting as well as the rest of his body, he opted instead for embracing the virile brunette. _I have every intention of taking care of you, Troy. Together, we'll heal until every bruise, every hideous battle scar is nothing more than a bad memory. _"I'll do my very best," he promised resolutely.

"Do you think Chace is gonna rise from the dead anytime soon?" Troy asked. The motion of his jaw could be felt against the younger Evans's neck.

"No, I…" Ryan trailed off. Taking a breath, he summoned his strength and spoke in a strong, full voice, owning up to his deed. "I t-took care of him."

"Good," Troy said with a tone of pleased dismissal.

Ryan was not all that surprised to see pride gleaming in the boy's ocean blue eyes. As silence settled in, the blond began to hum softly, melodiously. Words took form on his lips.

_A ray of golden light_

_ You shine through the night_

_ I'll keep your flame glowing _

_ Never dimmed, forever alight_

_ Together, we'll fight off the shadows_

_ Of cruel memories_

_ Now that I have you, _

_ I live again_

_ And it's you that I'll never leave_

When the bell rang and students poured into the hallway, the three males were still there; one lying on the floor, rendered momentarily immobile and seemingly lifeless, and the other two sat upright, snuggled into each other's arms. The only thing that all three of them had in common was that they were all off in another world.

**A/N: The next chapter: The Boltons find out about Troy and Chace's fight. Stay tuned!**


	33. Chapter 33: Cathartic

**Chapter 33: Cathartic**

Troy Bolton was in a state of absolute nirvana as Ryan Evans's pink lips covered the athlete's toned upper body with feather-light kisses, tenderly doting on each bruise, no matter how faded. The blond adolescent changed his position to caress the basketball god's back. With a maternal lenience, he administered the slightest of touches to the boy's spine.

During his confrontation with Chace Cooper but two days before, Troy sustained a varying degree of injuries, although, he, thankfully, avoided a serious concussion. Most of the damage that was visible to the naked eye was on his back and his neck, both bearing unsightly, but, _thank goodness_, not horribly damaging or permanent afflictions. A panicked Ryan had to be assured of this multiple times.

There was still a part of Ryan that blamed himself for every blotch on the athlete's body, every blotch marring Troy's golden skin and causing him pain even though Ryan knew who was ultimately responsible for Troy's bruises.

Troy and Sharpay routinely reassured the blond that he was not to blame.

"You saved me, Ry. You saved me from that asshole, Chace. There's no way that any of this is your fault," Troy had murmured into Ryan's ear before adding sustenance to his words via a kiss pressed to the smaller boy's earlobe.

Troy's mother, Lucille and father, Jack, were seething when they found out about Chace's assault. They were furious that their son had been viciously attacked while alone in the hallway, and still recovering from an injury on top of it. Lucille was ready to press charges if Chace was not suspended immediately, referring to her son's assailant as a "no account hoodlum with no sense of what the hell he's doing with his future". She wasn't particularly pleased that her son had fought back, giving Chace blackmail and lawsuit fodder, but at least he had prevailed, even momentarily against his attacker.

Jack had gone immediately to the Principal Matsui before taking Troy home. He grit his teeth and withheld as much of his anger as he could while asking for Chace's expulsion.

"That kid threatened to beat my son to a pulp and then turn on the Evans boy!" Troy had quoted his father's words, deepening his voice to imitate the older Bolton.

Ryan's insides were warmed by the protectiveness Troy's parents displayed not only for their own son, but for him as well. He would have never thought it possible that so many people could love him.

Chace was suspended for two weeks. Expulsion was the promised punishment if he ever considered a follow-up attack on either boy. The Boltons agreed that the punishment was fair. The Evans parents were a bit more reluctant to settle for the "light" sentence, but Ryan promised them that he could handle himself. He had more than proved his ability to do so, after all.

Pride had filled Troy from head to toe upon hearing such confidence from his lover.

Once the issue of Chace's punishment had been decided, Troy had been taken to the hospital to have his injuries properly inspected. Lucille rushed there from work and Ryan rode along with Troy and Jack, far too anxious to leave the youngest Bolton's side. The doctor's diagnosis reassured them all. Troy merely needed to take it easy and his injuries would heal on their own.

The senior Boltons thanked the doctor who promptly left the room to write up a report on the damage.

"You could have taken that Cooper kid, Troy!" Jack aimed a playful jab at his son's thigh. "I know you picked something up between hanging with the guys, and lessons with your old man, on kicking some ass!"

Glaring at her husband's grin, Lucille reminded him, "We're very fortunate that Ryan came along to save Troy, otherwise our son might have passed out from asphyxiation or sustained damage to his skull, and then we would' ve been hearing the account of the attack from the paramedics."

Jack lowered his eyes apologetically.

Ryan, also quite embarrassed, found the floor highly captivating at that moment. Jack Bolton had made a point to thank him at least three times on the ride to the city hospital, marveling as he did so, "Knocked that Chace boy clean out. I had no idea you had it in you."

"It really wasn't a great feat, sir," the younger Evans twin had protested. "I just did what I had to do. What anyone would have done."

Although he felt exposed and rather uncomfortable with three sets of eyes focused on the marks on his naked upper body, Troy managed a smile and reassured his mother, and the other two occupants of the room, "I'm fine, really. You heard the doctor."

"Still…" Lucille trailed off, shaking her head. As Troy pulled his shirt back on, his mother turned to her son's boyfriend. "Thank you, Ryan."

Ryan had nodded, his eyes moistening. "Don't mention it, Mrs. Bolton."

"Ohhh, Ryaaan… Aah!" Troy groaned.

Ryan continued to litter light kisses along the virile boy's neck and throat, rapture filling him at the pleasurable response the action garnered.

The pain ringing about the basketball team captain's neck was all but eliminated by the simple contact.

Ryan's pink tongue traced a path along the sun-kissed flesh of his lover as he made his way to the brunette's extra sensitive ear.

Troy sucked in air before letting a low moan escape his mouth. He felt the petite actor's soft lips brush against his earlobe, hot, minty breath tickling his skin. The athlete's muscles rippled, clenching. He shivered, the hair on his arms and the back of his neck standing up as he expressed his delight at the other boy's touch. _So… good. Yeah_… He thought to himself.

The smaller boy softly bit down on the shell of flesh and cartilage.

An electroshock ripped through Troy's body, pooling into heat as it reached his lower stomach. "Ryan…" he moaned.

Moving away from the tender ear, Ryan returned his attention to his lover's neck and throat. He nipped gently at the other male's Adam's apple.

Wrapping his arms around the slender blond, the brunette drew him in. He rubbed his chest against Ryan's, watching the boy's pale face flush, and the ardent ache that wracked Troy's body intensified. Leaning in, he nibbled earnestly at his partner's full lower lip.

His sanity was nearly lost to him at the whimper of unabashed longing that met his ears. "Troooy…!"

"Oh, Ryan… Yes!"

The two of them fell back on the bed, parting lips to allow the intrusion of tongues.

Ryan slid a hand up Troy's shirt, caressing his burning flesh. "Mm…Troy.."

"Oh, Ry…!"

"Troy‽" His mother's voice came from the other side of the youngest Bolton's bedroom door.

The two boys pulled apart, blushing furiously. Troy could feel his loins throbbing in protest even as his heart thundered from the shock. Ryan issued an almost inaudible groan as the warmth of his lover's body withdrew.

Troy, in turn, let his detest be known. "God damn it!" He growled, clapping a hand over his mouth at his obscene dynamic. His cover was too late.

"What was that?" Lucille called.

"Err… nothing, mom! Just…" He looked wildly to the smaller boy for an excuse.

Ryan could only stare helplessly back, his blue eyes stretched wide.

"Umm…" Troy forced his frantic brain to continue functioning. "Playing video games!" He finally replied.

"Well," Lucille's tone was neutral.

Troy and Ryan exchanged a glance, neither willing to express relief just yet.

She went on, "why don't the two of you stop "playing video games" and go outside and get some fresh air."

Giving sighs of exasperation, both boys got to their feet, knowing that they had no choice otherwise. As Troy shook his head, Ryan consolingly rubbed at the taller boy's shoulder. _Mothers and their frightening deduction skills,_ was the unspoken thought between them.

- Don't Let Me Drown-

As the two boys descended the stairs, their appearances more presentable, the brunette found his father looking at him, a slight smirk on the older Bolton's lips.

"What?" Troy asked, almost fearing the answer.

"Oh, nothing." Jack Bolton shook his head, his tone entirely unconvincing. "Go on outside.

The younger Bolton male's face began taking on a light crimson shade. Ryan took the initiative and lead Troy out of the room and into the kitchen. Once they had crossed the threshold of the backdoor and were well out of earshot, Troy grumbled, "What was that all about?"

Ryan gave him a strained half-smile. "Parents. You know they can be."

Troy nodded. Glancing about, they both had to admit; it was a nice day. The wind was moderate and the gleam of the sunlight was comfortable, rather than harsh. Ryan permitted Troy to lead him. He sensed that the virile boy had a plan for what they would be doing while they "got some fresh air". The athlete guided the actor to a spot behind the large oak tree that held the basketball player's childhood treehouse. Troy sat first, promptly plopping himself down on the ground and leaning back against the tree trunk.

Ryan hesitated for an instant. He knew how laborious of a task it was to remove grass stains from fabric. But, if Troy had no qualms with muddled green staining the seat of his jeans, then the theater king wouldn't, either. Daintily, he joined his lover, a voice, remarkably like his sister's chiding him internally to, _"Stop being such a pansy!"_

He felt Troy's arm drape across his shoulders and he fell happily into the embrace it offered him. A breeze rustled the leaves on the branches above their heads. A gust of wind blowing through his hair, Troy spoke up, "If you close your eyes… you can almost imagine that we're somewhere else, like maybe in Middle Earth."

Ryan perked up. "I've always loved the Shire. It's so homey and peaceful there."

"Yeah." Troy agreed. He paused, then added, " It's a damn pity that Frodo couldn't enjoy it anymore, and had to leave."

An unwarranted tidal wave of feelings flooded over Ryan. _My heart is like a sponge, soaking up everything you say, everything you do_, he thought. _I would be nothing without you, _nothing_. _Hell!_ I'd probably still be in that bed… _"Troy?" He shifted his weight, moving so that he could look into the other boy's ocean colored eyes. So that he could reveal everything.

"Yeah?" Troy turned to face the blond boy.

"Y-You're the Sam to my Frodo," Ryan relayed softly, his voice cracking the slightest bit.

Troy smiled, his eyes sparkling. "I never thought I'd be so happy to be called a fat hobbit." He drew Ryan back into him and the two of them settled into the earlier positions.

Troy's heart beat against Ryan's ear, lulling him into a half-awake state. In this odd state of mind, he considered the circumstances. He no longer dreamed of being washed away downstream, the essence of his being slowed erased by lapping waves. There was no longer a feeling that he was being swallowed up by a violent tide that he could not escape from. His eyelids fell. He wouldn't fight slumber off. "This is all very cathartic, don't you think?" he murmured.

Another laugh came from Troy. "You and your big words." He squeezed Ryan's shoulder affectionately.

They remained that way for a while longer, finally dozing off under the warmth of the sun until Mrs. Bolton came out and roused them. "Sleeping outside unprotected isn't healthy," she chided the boys.

"Ryan and I were sharing a "cathartic" experience, mom," Troy returned, smiling as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Shaking her head bemusedly, the Bolton matriarch dismissed her son. "Go wash up for dinner."

"Yes, mom," the brunette called over his shoulder as he walked back into the house.

"Yes, Mrs. Bolton," Ryan's light voice followed, his inflection courteous.

Lucille shook her head as, believing that she could not see them, Troy offered Ryan his hand, and the smaller blond boy took it, before they entered the house together. She smiled to herself, pleased that her son had found someone who not only had a proper upbringing, but loved him unconditionally, which was certainly an improvement on his previous partner.

Even with the uncanny observational skills all mothers are naturally equipped with, there was one thing that escaped her. She could not tell that the same blond boy with the dazzling smile and soft spoken, laid back personality, not even a month ago, would have most certainly died had it not been for her son's timely intervention. She was unable to discern, to see the subtle scarring beneath the pale skin of the Evans boy that told of garish events that were better off long forgotten.

The exterior scars were fading fast and his weight was nearly back to where it had been the previous year, two facts that would put Ryan's mind at ease. As long as no one other than Troy and himself was unfortunate enough to retain the knowledge of the full extent of the two boy's experiences together, it would be that much easier to heal.

And, although Ryan himself wished that Troy would be sporting no battle scars when they emerged, they were indeed emerging, a fact that was very cathartic indeed.

**A/N: I send out my sincerest apologies that this update has taken me so long. Fear not, I have not lost my passion for this story, as it needs to be told. I've just found myself getting caught up in some personal issues. **

** I promise you, my dear readers, that will not happen again. **

**The next chapter focuses on more internal analyses and leads up to an event that is long overdue. Stay tuned!**


	34. Chapter 34: Alive

**A/N: I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who is still reading this. I'm sorry that it has taken so long, but we're nearly finished.**

** Thank you so much for your kind comments and encouraging words along the way.**

**This chapter contains content that fully utilizes the "M" rating. If this does not tickle you pink, but in fact, turns you green with nausea, or perhaps red with outrage and embarrassment, the back button is there to service you.**

Chapter 34: Alive

"Aah! Aah!" Ryan yelped.

Troy thrusted into the smaller boy. Although his motions were gentle and loving, he was acting on the vow that he had made that night when he nearly lost the person who mattered the most to him. He wasn't holding anything back.

Ryan recalled the nights when the Evans' mansion would be empty, everyone else having left to attend a social event, leaving him alone. He would creep cautiously down the steps and curl up on the sofa in the den, watching "Supernanny" on the Style Network. He would observe the way the nanny, Jo Frost, would intervene in a troubled household of squabbling, bickering, ill-behaved little hellions and their unstable parents. Jo ensured that even the children who had no voice in all of the chaos, were heard.

Those children had a confidante in Nanny Jo, an unexpected ally. The sight of those kids breaking down because they were so overcome with relief, always brought Ryan to tears. He knew what that felt like, to be utterly alone, to be left without a voice and no one to turn to.

That had all changed.

Breaths came in strained gasps. Every time Troy jerked his pelvis forward, Ryan moved to meet him, the sweet contact causing the both of them to emit barely restrained exclamations. Heat scored through their bodies. With every thrust, the younger Evans twin felt his grip on reality slipping, and there was no urgency to reclaim it.

"Oh, Troy!" He cried out, his voice sounding strangely detached from his physical form.

"Ryan!" Troy leaned into Ryan, the virile boy's body heat enveloping the smaller blond. Troy's sweat slicked, sculpted chest and abdomen felt so good to Ryan while they were rubbing against the blond boy's own petite, skinny body. "Ryan! Aah!" And with those cries of pleasure coming from the brunette, Ryan knew that he, himself must have felt just as amazing to Troy.

Recently, the two of them had watched _Donnie Darko_. Donnie, the main character, was told that he possessed the ability to time travel by the apparition of a six foot tall man in a rabbit suit, named Frank. Donnie, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, was the dictionary definition of "troubled youth", calling his mother a "bitch" to her face, defacing public property, mouthing off to his teachers.

Yet, Ryan Evans and Troy Bolton found themselves immersed, drawn into Donnie and his bizarre universe as it spiraled toward its demise.

By the end of the movie, Ryan's eyes shone with tears.

Sensing the blond's distress, Troy had turned to comfort him. "Ry? Baby, what's wrong?"

"He didn't have a chance, Troy." Ryan murmured, his voice quaking. "He didn't give himself a chance."

Troy, realizing what had just clicked in his boyfriend's mind, opened his arms up wide and drew the smaller boy into an embrace, soothingly rubbing his back.

"Ohh…! Oh, Troy! Troy!" As he came closer to his climax, Ryan found the need to control his volume leaving him in the same manner that his sanity was. In that moment, that glorious moment, there was only him and Troy.

Troy's beautiful voice, calling out his name. "Ryan! Ohh… Ryan, yes, fuuuuuck…!"

"Troy, yes…! It's so-! _You're _so…! _Yes_!"

"It was his choice, Ryan. He made it, just like you made yours."

Ryan turned up to face the brunette, something within him stirring at the truth of Troy's words.

"You chose to stay. To keep fighting."

Yes, yes, he did.

"Yeah, it might not be easy. Neither choice is, but…"

"Yes?" Ryan encouraged him, his voice quiet, his tone almost expectant.

"You'll have a future to look forward to that isn't as bad. And," a bashful smile tugged at the corners of Troy's pink lips. "I'm gonna be there for you, every step of the way."

Ryan smiled, the tears moistening his eyes now existing because of an entirely different emotion. "I'll be there for you, too," he promised. "To do whatever I can."

Troy leaned down, nuzzling his nose against Ryan's. The blond male felt that his heart would swell until it burst.

- DLMD-

Nights ago, they had laid together on Ryan's bedroom floor, discussing life.

"Ry?"

"Hm?"

"What do you think most people want out of life?"

Ryan considered this for a moment, choosing his phrasing carefully, before finally replying, "We're all looking for testament, I think. For proof that there's something worth living for in this world. Whether that something is a stable career, or a place to sleep at night. Whether it's love, and acceptance, or solitude and sanctuary. Or, maybe, to leave something behind to forever preserve your memory." He chewed at the inside of his lower lip, worried that he would need to retract his statement.

Troy gave a nod, then his brows furrowed. "But, here's what I don't get." He turned to face the actor. "If nearly everyone wants the same things, why are some of us considered outcasts?"

Ryan's eyes widened. Mere months ago, the notion that he would holding a philosophical discussion with his high school's golden boy while laying on the brightly colored carpet covering his own bedroom floor, would have been shrugged off as a result of pure lunacy. Yet, here they were. His thin brows knitting together in contemplation, the theater king replied slowly, "Maybe it's because we have a different approach to going after what we want? Or… maybe it's because people look at us with the slant of fear, and disgust, so they view what we want, even if it's the same as want they want, as radical, and disgusting, too."

There was a moment of silence.

"Ryan?"

"Hm?"

Troy's eyes glowed softly. "I _never_ thought of you as "disgusting"."

Ryan scooted in closer to him, laying his hand over top of the other boy's larger appendage. "I-I appreciate that," he relayed, his tone affectionate. "You may be a bit on the "radical side", " an amused smile tugged at the ends of his mouth, "but there is absolutely nothing "disgusting" about you, either." _I just wish that the rest of the world could see it that way._

- Save Me-

As Troy called out Ryan's name, Ryan's body tensed, and then, he erupted, clinging tight to the virile boy's backside.

"Trooooy!"

A second later, after some erratic and frantic thrusting accompanied by uneven, staccato breaths, Troy came, too. Panting laced the air as he crumpled down on top of the smaller blond boy. "Oh, Ryan. You're so…!" He flopped over onto the mattress. "Ryan, I love you… I love you…" He cuddled Ryan close to his body, enveloping the performer in his strong arms as he repeated the profession

Each time the three harmonic syllables were uttered, Ryan felt his body tingle with bliss. As Troy went about dotingly cleaning the both of them up, Ryan returned the declaration with full gusto. "Troy, I love you, too." His voice broke slightly. If it had broken before anyone else, Ryan would have been ashamed of how pathetic he sounded, how vulnerable. _But not with Troy_.

With Troy, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Ryan Evans had no reason to be ashamed.

-DLMD-

Stepping back, Ryan took in his sister's attire. The elder blond twin wore a silky pink tank top with a short sleeved, white, sheer covering. Her blouse cut just above her cleavage line. Her lower half was clad in a tight, lacy black skirt. Flesh colored knee highs were stretched up her curved legs. Her feet sparkled in the diamond encrusted sandals Ryan recalled searching for during the first week of the school year.

The ventures of that day, including his vomiting episode, were all part of a series of memories that, try as he might, he would never be able to fully erase from his mind. They were seared into his brain.

"How do I look, Ry?"

As Sharpay proposed the question, the younger twin's mind transported him back to that day at the mall. His sister had stood before him then, much the same as she was now, modeling a new outfit.

Then, the closeness of their relationship had all been an external facade that he could easily see through. Sharpay's voice had been cold, distant; her brown eyes hollow, and teeming with frigid apathy as she looked upon him.

Now…

"Ryan?" The note of concern in his twin's voice brought Ryan back to the present day.

Reaching out, he adjusted the barrette clipping back several strands of the girl's now straightened golden tresses. A sincere smile tugged up the corners of his mouth. "You look _great_, Sis."

Today was the day of the highly anticipated performances. Ms. Darbus sat in the house of the auditorium, armed with her clipboard and pen, where she eagerly awaited the display of teamwork and compatibility from her young thespians.

It also marked the first time that the Evans twins would be performing for an audience without each other. For a moment, the thrill of performing, the drive that fueled their existence, left the pair of siblings.

Sharpay intently studied her brother's smooth face. His dazzling smile had returned to decorate his face with all of its radiant beauty. A feeling of warmth swelled in her chest, her throat tightening.

Noticing the shift, Ryan's brow line crinkled. "Shar, what's wrong?"

"You're _alive_, Ryan," she affirmed softly, her eyes speaking more than words ever could as tears swam on their liquid brown surfaces. "Nothing could ever be wrong with that."

Ryan could feel her love for him, thick and oozing in his chest. It was a wonderful feeling, one that he was convinced he'd never feel again. The twins embraced tightly, and the younger Evans felt tears prick his eyes for an instant. Over his sister's head, he spotted one of the reasons for his prolonged existence. The taller, virile brunette boy's attire was simple, nowhere near as flashy as the attire of either of the Evans children.

And, yet, it succeeded at both complimenting Ryan's own attire, and being perfect for Troy in every way.

"Thank you," Ryan mouthed to the other boy, even though those words could never truly suffice as a means of communicating the extent of his gratitude.

"No, Ry… thank _you_," Troy mouthed back, smiling and misty-eyed. There was no need to add the last part, even though he did so mentally. _Thank you for choosing to live. For saving me… For being alive. _

**A/N: How will the performances go? I hope to see all of you in the next chapter so that I can give you the answer.**


	35. Chapter 35: Rising

Chapter 35: Rising

_I'm your biggest fan_

_ I'll follow you, until you love me_

_ Papa-_

_ Paparazzi_

_ Baby, there's no other superstar,_

_ You know that I'll be_

_ Your papa-_

_ Paparazzi_

Sharpay and Kelsi strutted across the stage. The composer's soft soprano sang harmony to the drama queen's powerful lead vocals. Kelsi had exchanged her glasses for contacts at Sharpay's insistence, and left her curly brunette hair down. Her outfit matched Sharpay's, but several modifications had to be made, as the petite girl was not as bold as her more voluptuous partner.

Ryan had been called on, once again, as a style consultant. He managed to find Kelsi a blouse and skirt that flattered her figure without making her uncomfortable.

Both girls wore a fair amount of body glitter. Although Kelsi was very much outside of her element onstage, she smiled slightly, her face glowing with a light flush that could only be the result of pure delight.

Troy flashed Ryan an incredulous smile. "Who would have thought that Sharpay would be the one to break Kelsi out of her shell?"

Ryan shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Sharpay is full of surprises."

_Promise I'll be kind_

_ But I won't stop until_

_ That boy is mine_

There was a sexy cat claw from Sharpay, and then both girls dropped down low, using their quads to twist back up to their full height. Flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder, the elder Evans twin took center stage, her lips curling into a flirtatious smirk as she gave an attention grabbing shimmy.

Behind her partner, Kelsi visibly blushed, probably embarrassed at Sharpay's choreography. The girls finished in a flourish of lace and pink.

Backstage, Jesse Fitz and Jeremy Chen applauded wildly, Jeremy giving a wolf whistle, for good measure. Sharpay basked in the applause. Kelsi hung back, her expression giving away more embarrassment.

"Brava!" Ms. Darbus exclaimed from the house. "Well done, Ms. Evans and Ms. Nielsen."

"Thank you." Sharpay smiled sweetly.

Ryan broke into a round of applause for the girls, Troy joining him. As Kelsi looked their way, they made sure to flash her a thumbs up. This action caused a tiny smile to form on her face. In the next instant, Sharpay had a grip on the girl's arm, and was tugging her backstage.

"You can't stand here all day, Kelsi. Jeez!" She huffed.

As she was dragged past, Kelsi sent a look the two boys' way that clearly displayed her desire to remove the glitter, and change back into her own clothes.

They returned her look with sympathetic glances. Once the two girls were well on their way down to the dressing rooms, Troy said, "I hope that we can at least do as good as they did." His blue eyes expressed anxiety.

"We've got this," Ryan promised, taking hold of the athlete's hand.

"You sure, Ry? What if I mess up on the moves?" Troy swallowed, taking a step in closer to the blond.

"You won't." Ryan raised his free hand to drag his finger down the taller boy's cheek. "You nailed the choreography during our last rehearsals. You're practically a natural." He smiled softly, the action encouraging the other boy to reciprocate. "I believe in you," he added softly. They leaned into each other, lips parting, when-

"Would you check out the PDA over here!"

The two boys jumped, whirling in the direction of the voice, a female's.

Cassidy Freeman stood there, a smirk on her full pink lips. Her partner, Alan Jacobs, and the other drama club members, Erica Stewart, Joseph Mason, Jeremy Chen, and Jesse Fitz ,were all behind her.

"You know we aren't doing Shakespeare, right?" Erica stepped forward, folding her arms over her chest.

Troy blushed, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck as he and Ryan stepped apart. Ryan felt his stomach flip-flop. "Um, we weren't aware that we had an audience," the athlete replied.

"I hardly see the need to suddenly be self-conscious now," Joseph quipped. "You guys are usually all over each other during rehearsals."

Troy and Ryan traded a look, Ryan silently berating himself for not discouraging his boyfriend's affectionate nature while there was a possibility of an audience.

"So," Cassidy moved in, placing her hand on Ryan's arm. "Spill."

"Wh-what?" The blond shifted, his blue eyes widening slightly. She wasn't asking what he thought she was asking, was she?

"Oh, come on!" Erica rolled her hazel eyes. "We know you're doing it, so why play coy about it?"

"You know that everyone wants to know," Alan Jacobs put in, shrugging his shoulders to keep his too-big blazer sitting properly on his gangly body.

""Know", what?" Troy asked, looking toward Ryan for some form of an answer. The theater king had none to offer.

"If Troy Bolton holds up to his reputation," Cassidy finally clarified.

A reddish hue immediately spread across Troy's tanned face. He let out a sound reminiscent of choking.

Sympathy for the golden boy filling him, Ryan came to Troy's aid. "Are you sure you want to know?" He asked, taking the attention off of his boyfriend. "Do you _really_ want me to shatter the illusion?"

Erica, Cassidy, Joseph, and Alan nodded. Jeremy and Jesse shot one another looks of bewilderment.

Ryan leaned in and Cassidy pulled aside strands of her long dark hair so that he could whisper into her ear, "Troy's validity as a sex god, is between him, me, and the creaking of the frame of my king size bed."

Cassidy slowly pulled away, a look of awe creeping over her face.

"Well?" Erica persisted.

Turning away from the blond theater king, Cassidy took hold of a Alan's arm and repeated what Ryan had disclosed to her, into her partner's ear as the gangly boy flushed bright red.

While the group clustered around Cassidy and Alan, eager to hear the information that had been transferred to the dark haired girl, Ryan returned to Troy's side. "Are you alright?" He murmured, lightly squeezing the brunette's bicep. That entire situation must have been extraordinarily mortifying for him.

"I'll be fine." Troy managed a smile, the blush slowly fading from his face. "Just _how _many times am I going to owe my ass to you?" He teased, gently nudging the blond.

As Ryan smiled back, ducking his head, the sounds of another performance on the stage met their ears.

_Keep bleedin'_

_ Keep, keep bleedin'_

_Love_

Gabriella's soprano rose and fell, her notes entwining with the smooth, powerful alto voice that could only belong to her partner, Allison Finch.

"Allison is great!" Troy exclaimed, maintaining dynamic control so that only Ryan could hear him. "I had no idea she had a voice like that!"

"Evidently, neither did she," Ryan mused, his lips tugged up as he observed the smile the younger girl wore on her face. If she had any stage fright before, there were no traces of it now. Apparently, encouragement from Gabriella had been just what Allison needed to receive a confidence boost.

As the pair of girls finished their selection, they made their way backstage, the auburn haired girl assisting her dark-haired partner.

Ryan and Troy nodded at the girls as they strode past. Neither of them was quite ready to forgive Gabriella for making their relationship headline news, and publicly slandering Troy. Ryan still felt a twinge of anger every time he saw her, but, at the very least, civility could be maintained.

The blond male flashed Allison a thumbs-up.

She accepted the praise with a smile, mouthing her gratitude.

Troy gave the younger girl his signature boyish smile.

"Troy Bolton and Ryan Evans," the head stage manager called.

Ryan's hand instinctively sought out Troy's. He took a deep breath.

"You ready, Ry?" Troy asked.

Ryan knew that his boyfriend was not simply imploring whether or not he was prepared to go onstage. He closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. His grip on Troy's warm hand tightened. Then, he re-opened his eyes, a small smile quirking up the ends of his mouth.

He resurfaced. "Yes, I am."

Troy amply returned the smile, his blue eyes sparkling.

- Don't Let Me Drown-

The curtains opened. An upbeat musical accompaniment poured out of the speakers. Onstage, Troy tapped his foot in time to the beat, gazing upstage. Wearing a smile on his face, he turned downstage to face his audience. Confidence radiated from him, thanks to the little pep talk he had received. _I _can _do this! _He told himself.

His voice flowed forth, every note strong, swelling with vigor.

_Guess this means you're sorry,_

_ You're standin' at my door_

_ Guess this means you take back_

_ All you said before_

A second voice made itself heard; the distinctive light but powerful alto tenor of Ryan Evans. He strutted downstage to join Troy, his steps light as air, displaying all the grace that made him the irreplaceable king of his high school's theater.

_Like how much you wanted,_

_ Anyone but me_

_ Said you'd never come back, _Troy sang, crossing to his partner.

_But here you are, again _As they joined their voices in unison, with one fantastic grand jete, Ryan propelled himself into the arms of his boyfriend. Troy held the lightweight blond aloft, the boys smiling into each other's eyes, as he twirled both Ryan, and himself around.

In one beat, Ryan was back on his feet, and the two of them belted out the chorus with impassioned gusto, Ryan taking the melody and Troy the harmony as they executed the moves that they had worked arduously to perfect.

_'Cause we belong together_

_ Now, yeah_

_ Forever united here,_

_ Somehow, yeah_

_ You've got a piece of me_

_ And honestly_

_ My life_

_ My life, _Troy echoed

_Would suck_

_ Would suck_

_ Without you_

Moving away from Troy, Ryan hung his head while singing:

_Baby, I was stupid_

_ For telling you, "goodbye"_

_ Maybe I was wrong for_

_ Trying to pick a fight, _Troy sang, throwing a punch at the air.

Ryan reclaimed the lead. _I know that I've got issues, _he vocalized. _Ha, that's understatement! _He mused to himself. With a roll of his hips, he pressed the back of his hand to his forehead in a dramatic gesture and lowered his body, almost to the floor, signifying falling, dying, before springing back up with amazing agility. Troy crossed to him, sweeping Ryan into his arms so that they were so close, the ends of their noses nearly brushed together. He gave a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, which earned a smile in response from the blond performer.

_But you're pretty messed up, too, _Ryan finished, scrunching up his nose delightedly as he twirled the index finger of his downstage hand, near his temple, gesticulating the words.

_Either way, I've found out,_

_ I'm nothing without you_

Their voices rejoined, splitting flawlessly into the harmony once more. As they launched into the choreography, every shimmy, every step, and every ball change was perfect.

The two boys sang through the chorus a second time, coming up to the bridge. Ryan's voice softened, dropping to a light lilt. The raw passion and enthusiasm of his tone did not die out with the decrescendo.

Troy sang sotto voce, as well, as they looked upon one another with adulation glowing in their eyes.

_Being with you,_

_ Is so dysfunctional_

_I really shouldn't miss you, _They turned downstage, away from each other, wearing looks of torment.

_But, I can't let you go, _on "but" they turned back to face each other, the smiles returning to their faces.

_Oh yeah_

Reaching out, they clasped hands, dancing through the instrumental together, just like they had waltzed around the lake shore that night that seemed as though it was from another life time. The music built to the final reprises of the chorus.

For an instant, Ryan lost himself, and as Troy spun him in, he nuzzled into the boy's chest, obeying his body's command to "never let go". His pulse throbbed in his ears, his heart racing with exhilaration and terror. He was back where he belonged, on stage, doing what he loved. Yet, at the same time, he was being analyzed by his peers. _Can they see it? _He asked himself. _Can they see the scarring? _He wanted to hide himself from the world, to never be bothered by interacting with anyone outside of his family and Troy ever again.

But…

He inhaled, steeling himself. He would not crumple. He would not break again.

He spun back out, leaving the safety of Troy's embrace, and kicking out his legs in a spectacular pirouette as they launched back into the lyrics that couldn't possibly communicate the depth of Ryan's feelings for the golden boy. They were a nice start, though.

_'Cause we belong together_

_ Now, yeah!_

_ Forever united here,_

_ Somehow, yeah_

_ You've got a piece of me_

_ And honestly,_

_ My life_

This time, Ryan took up the echo, his voice nearly cracking as his emotions threatened to break surface. _My life!_

_ Would suck_

_ (Would suck)_

_ Without you_

_ 'Cause we belong together now_

_ Forever united here_

_ Somehow, yeah_

_ You've got a piece of me_

_ And honestly_

_ My life_

_ (My life)_

_ Would suck_

_ (Would suck)_

_ Without you_

Ryan and Troy leaned into each other, the ends of their noses touching. Troy softly butted Ryan's forehead with his own, a loving smile on his lips, that the blond theater king returned.

"I mean it, you know," Troy whispered.

"I know," Ryan replied, a lump constricting his throat as tears pricked at his eyes. He reached down and took Troy's hand into his own and, together, the two of them turned out to face the house and dropped into a bow.

Applause erupted from all around them. Ms. Darbus and Kelsi lead the round, the drama instructor injecting words of praise for her two students who had to overcome so much. Ryan hoped to himself that she would never learn the true extent of the tribulations that he and Troy had been through.

Even Gabriella contributed to the applause, able to cast aside her bitterness toward the pair, if only for a moment. She caught Allison Finch beaming at her, and she realized how glad she was that she had decided to be a "good girl" once more.

**A/N: I do not own any of the songs that made an appearance this chapter. The rights to "Paparazzi", "Bleeding Love", and "My Life Would Suck Without You", belong to Lady Gaga, Leona Lewis, and Kelly Clarkson, respectively. **

**Thank you all so much for your continued support with this story. The kind words that so many of you have left, mean the world to me.**

**I can only hope that I will continue to have the honor of your support in my quest to see this published. **

**Next Chapter: Ryan's journey on the road to recovery continues. **


	36. Chapter 36: Thriving

Chapter 36: Thriving

"So, it's all good, right?" Chad Danforth inquired. "Now that Ryan took out Chace, the ice queen isn't acting like a bitch toward him anymore?" He slid the basketball he had been twirling on the tip of his finger, along his defined arm, up to his shoulders, back down his arm, and then caught it, effortlessly passing it to his friend and captain.

Troy smiled, all too happy to confirm this as the ball landed in his outstretched and waiting hands. "Yeah. Sure, they still have their squabbles every now and then, but what siblings don't, huh?" He chest-passed the ball back to the curly-haired boy.

Chad let out a humor-filled _pft_.

"But they're getting along again," Troy went on. "Ryan is thrilled, and that's all that really matters." He considered to himself that shooting the winning basket in a championship game could not compare to the euphoria that came with knowing that the boy he loved was happy again. _And, I had a part in that_, he told himself. He was snapped out of his dream-like state by a nudge from his best friend, who promptly snatched the ball back, shaking his head while wearing a bemused smile on his face.

"So Ryan, I heard from Kelsi that you and Troy did a super spectacular job on your drama assignment," Martha Cox said with a friendly smile.

Ryan returned the smile, his insides giving a little tremor. The terror was still there. He longed for the company of either Troy, or Sharpay, both of whom could handle social situations such as these with ease and finesse. With one of them next to him, his anxiety would be minimal. Sharpay would do all of the talking, taking the need to say anything from her brother, as he could rely on her to cover all bases. Troy would provide comfort and encouragement. _He'd step in before I said something humiliatingly stupid. _"W-Were those her exact words?" He inquired, keeping his voice light and, hopefully, unaffected.

Martha giggled. "I took some artistic license. I wish I could have been there to see it."

_Think. It's not that difficult. Respond_, Ryan instructed himself. "Maybe, Troy and I could perform it again, an encore performance. For you." He offered, a reprimand already forming in his mind in the event that his phrasing came off as creepy.

"That would be epic!" Martha replied. She appeared to be unfazed, so he silenced his internal rebuke. "And maybe," the brunette girl went on, "I could learn some new ways to get down."

_"Get down"? _His brows furrowing, the blond stopped to contemplate the odd-sounding phrase.

Martha giggled again. "What? You've never heard of "getting down on the dance floor"?"

Ryan felt heat fill his cheeks. "Y-Yes I have, it's just…"

"Come on. I heard all about you "getting down" at Jase's party." She grinned mischievously, giving a shake of her hips like some pop star that Ryan couldn't quite identify.

He was certain that his face was beginning to resemble a beet. _Reign it in, Evans! _That incident was something else he'd prefer putting _far_ behind him. Even still, of course he had fun while he was dancing. It was one of the few things that he excelled at, that he was confident in his ability to do. He loved putting his body into expressive movement while music played either from a speaker, or in his mind. He loved leaving the world behind him for a few frenetic minutes, escaping into the beats of the song. _But, dancing by myself is incomparable to dancing with Troy. _Dancing with Troy; having a sturdy form to catch him when he performed fantastic leaps, feeling Troy's hands on his waist when they slow-danced in their bedrooms, feeling the warmth of Troy's breath on his neck, nuzzling into Troy's neck, gyrating into the beautiful athlete's pelvis, inciting pants, and soft moans… The world simply faded away in those moments, forgotten entirely.

"You've really gotta get out, more. Have some fun." Martha nudged him, extracting him from his revery.

"Yeah," he agreed, slapping on a slight smile.

"Well, I've gotta go." She began turning in toward the doorway of her astronomy class. "I'll catch ya later."

"Okay," Ryan nodded, preparing to continue on his way.

"We'll compare notes on dancing and breaking down," Martha called after him.

He turned back. "Sure."

The curly-haired brunette beamed as she walked into the classroom.

Ryan let out a sigh, his legs shaking as he resumed his exodus in solitaire. The other students rushed about him. Thankfully, none of them decided to stop and chat, their minds no doubt preoccupied with other personal matters. As he was just beginning to calm his heart, an arm draped itself across his shoulders. He was startled for a brief instant, but quickly registered the identity of his companion. "Hey," he murmured softly.

"Hey, babe," Troy returned. He looked the blond theater king over. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Ryan nodded. His defenses were instantly lowered.

"Ry," Troy's blue eyes focused on Ryan's, peering intently into them. "I'm really proud of you."

Ryan found himself unable to summon a response other than blushing as a smile tugged on the ends of his mouth. His heart swelled.

The brunette athlete placed an arbitrary kiss on the blond's soft lips.

The simple action was met with a call of, "Fags!" from across the hall.

Looking up, the two boys found that the derogatory slur had come from a heavily built behemoth of a boy, whom would have been more than capable of using his fists to express his show of discontentment with the couple's PDA.

"Yeah?" Troy retorted, unafraid of the consequences. "Suck it, Fray." He gave the finger to the neanderthal.

Ryan's heart began to race out of terror. His blood froze, anticipating a brutal beat-down. _I hope that he hits me first. So Troy can escape._

Fray stepped forward, as if ready to take on both boys at once, but a steely glare from one of the English teachers sent the barrel-chested brute grumbling on his way to his next class.

"Are you boys alright?" The teacher, a woman in her early thirties, inquired.

"Yes, ma'am," they affirmed simultaneously.

"Why don't you go on ahead to class."

"We will." Troy replied. "And thanks."

"Yes, thank you," Ryan murmured. They set off once more.

"Asshole," Troy muttered, assured that they were out of earshot.

"Last time I checked, we weren't a pack of cigarettes." The blond theater king let out a sigh. He flicked his eyes to his boyfriend, relishing the chiseled angles of Troy's cheeks and jawline, and the way that they were not marred by bruises, the way that the athlete's sun-kissed flesh had not been broken open by swinging fists. He treasured the warmth in Troy's ocean colored eyes that the world had not succeeded in destroying. _I want you to remain this way. I won't let anyone ever rob you of your beauty. They'll have to beat you over my cold, rigid, and lifeless corpse. And even then, they'd have to find you first…_

"It's alright," the golden boy assured him.

Ryan believed him. For now, everything was alright. _They _were alright. Together, the two boys entered their English class.

- Don't Let Me Drown -

Troy and Ryan stepped out of the cinema, still at a high. Throughout the movie, they had engaged in make-out sessions, refusing to come up for air until their actions warranted displeasure from the other two people in the theater. The harsh lighting that greeted their eyes as they emerged, was nearly blinding after the near blackness of the theater, and the passionate daze that they had been in mere moments beforehand.

Ryan felt slightly light-headed, the earth shifting under his feet. The taste of Troy, popcorn, Sprite, and Resse's Pieces candy still lingered in his mouth. He took a second to breathe, to compose himself.

"Ry," Troy's voice implored. "I'm going to the restroom. I'll be right back."

"Alright."

"Hey." He felt Troy's hand squeeze his shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." Ryan smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine." He made himself believe that.

Assured, Troy's hand lingered for a moment longer, then he set off to use the facilities.

Ryan watched him go, then stood, his arms folded over his chest. Even with a jacket on, nothing could ward off the initial chill that came over him whenever Troy departed. There was still, he admitted to himself, a terror that gripped him: that something would happen to the boy that he loved, again. Ignoring this, he lowered his gaze to the floor. He entertained himself by tracing the patterns on the unsightly mosaic printed carpet. _This place could use an interior decorator that has a sense of color-coordination_, he mused. Then, suddenly, he was aware of a pair of eyes on him. This gaze seemed to stare right through his clothing, engulfing him hungrily. His pulse picked up. He knew that the owner of the eyes that stared at him so voraciously could not be Troy. Call it "lover's intuition", but the golden boy's stares were not so invasive. So _violating_. Raising his head, Ryan met the hazel eyes of the catalyst of all of his problems. His heart lurched, and he felt his blood run cold as the color drained from his face. _David!_

Silently, they regarded each other, the petite blond feeling as though he was the weak, insignificant prey of the older boy. Images flashed through his mind of the fatal encounter that haunted him.

Again, he felt his back hitting the wall in Lava Springs's kitchen, relived domineering lips ghosting over his neck, a dense body pressing against his own, trapping him. His chest tightened in sheer terror. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't breathe. He was sinking. Sinking...

_No_, he commanded himself. _No, that's not me anymore. I _won't _allow you to do this to me, anymore. _He took a breath and calm stole over him, expelling the images, sensations, and all emotional repercussions connected to them, from his mind.

He felt someone beside him. Out of the corner of his eye, he recognized a Wildcat's varsity letterman, a side-swept, untidy mop of brunette hair. Relief washed over him, the waves strong enough to nearly bring him to tears. "Okay, I'm back." Troy announced. "Hey, Ry? What's wrong?" He asked when there was no response. Narrowed oceanic eyes followed Ryan's gaze to the older boy. "Who is that, looking at you like you're a piece of meat?"

Ryan turned and took Troy's hand into his own. _It's in the past. Now that I'm alive, I don't have to deal with ghosts anymore. _He detached his stricken stare from David, and moved into Troy. He was safe. The ebony haired boy with his bronzed skin stretched over toned muscle, and seductive charms, no longer had any power over him. He wouldn't supply David with that power anymore. "No one," he replied, his pink lips curling into a slight smile.

"Alright," Troy gave a nod. "Still, that creep needs to learn how to not rape people with his eyes. I mean, what the _hell_." Shaking his head discontentedly, he lead both of them out of the cinema.

Still clinging to Troy's hand, Ryan let the brunette escort him to the rusted, worn-out pick-up waiting for them in the parking lot. They were leaving David, and all of the memories attached to him, behind.

And the blond did not look back.

- DMLD -

"Do you even remember what that was movie was about?" Troy inquired.

"I honestly don't think I could recall the title under hypnosis," Ryan answered him.

Both of them laughed at this. They had stopped in at a restaurant to pick-up food to go. The two of them quieted their laughter as they approached the counter and got in line, not enjoying the awkward stares their giddiness had put them on the receiving end of. As they were still too far way from the menu, and undecided of their meal choices, the blond and brunette cast looks around them, surveying the other occupants of the restaurant without intending to be rude.

Troy, spotting someone that he vaguely recognized, gave his boyfriend a light nudge to get his attention. "Look over there," he whispered.

"Mm?" Ryan looked in the direction Troy was indicating. His eyes widened slightly. Sitting at a table across the room, sat a slender brunette with frosted blond highlights that he recognized as the sexually confused waiter that had tended to him and Troy on their first outing. He remembered the name that boy had worn on his blue work polo: _Aiden_. Opposite Aiden, sat a boy with black and blue "emo" styled hair. The twosome sat with their hands clasped, setting off Ryan's gaydar. "Well!" He gaped.

"Damn," Troy marveled, "I'd say your gaydar is pretty full-proof. You nailed the reason for that guy spazzing right off the bat."

"Thank you," Ryan blushed slightly at the compliment, although it was not entirely true. _If my gaydar was "full-proof", I would have pin-pointed you a long time ago. _For a moment, he pondered the curious nature of his perceptive abilities, and how gaydar, no matter whom it belonged to, always seemed to fail when you were expecting a sign from the one you loved. Still, he was grateful that he had Troy at all. How long it took for that to happen was of no importance.

Seeing those two together, Ryan couldn't help but to crinkle his nose in joy. "They're so cute!"

"Yeah… but we're cuter." Troy grinned as Ryan gave him a look, his brow arced.

The effects of that contagious boyish grin soon became evident on the blond's face, however. He let out a laugh before wrapping an arm around the brunette athlete's torso, drawing him into an embrace. With his cheek pressed safely against the basketball team captain's chest, the theater king allowed himself to sever the ties holding him to the earth.

**A/N: Next up: Ryan continues to live, with Troy at his side. I will see you then as this story concludes, at long last! **


	37. Chapter 37: Finale

**A/N: Here we are. It's been two years since I first wrote this. During those two years, I've gained a lot of insight, and it is thanks to that insight, that my writing style has changed for the better.**

**Back then, you see, I had a wonderful idea, but little to no idea of how to correctly execute it. Because of this, I've had to heavily edit, and almost rewrite quite a few of the last chapters. That wasn't easy. There were days where my mood sank so low, any and all motivation was obliterated. **

** But, I'm still writing. My ultimate goal with this story is to not only entertain people, but to help them. I fully intend to get this published in the hopes that this story will touch people's lives, and help them to learn to live again, or to love themselves again, as Ryan did. **

** Unfortunately, my family has been less than supportive regarding my writing, and that tended to derail me as well. When that happened, I thought of the wonderful comments that you guys have left me, the beautiful reviews that mean so much to me. Without my readers, I wouldn't be half of the author that I am. So, I thank each and every one of you, my reviewers, my loyal readers, and even my casual readers who are new to the "High School Musical" fandom, but decide to give one of my stories a chance, anyway. Please know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you. **

** I can only hope that I may have the honor of your continued support when I finally get this story published. **

** So, without further ado, this story is dedicated to you, and to all of the other people out there who feel that they, perhaps, "don't deserve to live". **

** I have no claims of ownership to anything recognizable. All characters and elements relating to the "High School Musical" movies, are © of Disney and Peter Barosschini. The song, "Bohemian Rhapsody" belongs to Queen and Freddie Mercury. Macbeth's soliloquy, "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow", belongs to the Bard, William Shakespeare. **

Chapter 37: Finale

_A single spotlight shone down on the stage, illuminating the solitary figure on the polished wood surface. His fedora adorned head of blond hanging in a sullen matter, the younger Evans twin sat on the stage, his legs splayed out behind him. _

_ He began to sing at a mezzo piano dynamic:_

_ Mama, just killed a man_

_ Put a gun against his head,_

_ Pulled my trigger, now he's dead_

_ Mama, life had just begun He began to rise slowly to his feet, his dynamic increasing simultaneously. _

_ But now I've gone and _

_ Thrown it all away!_

_ Mama, ooh_

_ Didn't mean to make you cry_

_ If I'm not back again this time tomorrow_

_ Carry on, carry on,_

_ As if nothing really matters_

_ He walked across the stage, staring out into the house of the performance hall. He felt his heart miss a beat as he was greeted by row after row of empty seats. _

_ Too late, my time has come _

_ Sends shivers down my spine, He hugged himself, embodying his words as a shiver crept up his spine._

_ Bodies aching all the time _

_ Goodbye, everybody_

_ I've got to go_

_ Gotta leave you all behind_

_ And face the truth_

_ A sudden intense pain seized his midsection, causing him to gasp._

_ Mama! Ooh- The pain made him fall down to his knees, his voice breaking slightly as he went._

_ I don't wanna die! He pleaded_

_ I sometimes wish_

_ I'd never been born at all_

_ The music swelled as he remained there. He could feel warm blood pooling out of a wound on his side. His life force was fading… fading... Soon, he would leave the earth behind him._

_ Then, suddenly, a platform rose up behind him, figures emanating an unearthly glow, stood on the risers that protruded from it. Ryan found himself able to get to his feet, and he did so, startled at the sight before him. _

_ I see a little silhouetto of a man, he vocalized, moving cautiously toward the otherworldly choir of all males. He noted that they were clad in dazzling white robes._

_**Scaramouche, scaramouche, **_

_** Will you do the fandango? **__They responded. _

_ Thunderbolt and lightning, Ryan sang._

_**Very very frightening me, **_the choir came in, drowning his lone voice out.

_Galileo, the blond called._

_**(Galileo)**__, the voices of the choir echoed._

_ Galileo_

_**(Galileo)**_

_Galileo figaro_

_**Magnifico**__, the intonation of the chorus swelled._

_ I'm just a poor boy, Ryan sang, feeling his legs quake. His heart clenched in fear that they would buckle, and somehow send him falling through the stage. _

_ Nobody loves me_

_ The faces of the chorus members remained impassive. None of them took notice of his growing fear, or so much as glanced in his direction, even as he stood among them. _

_**He's just a poor boy**_

_** From a poor family**_

_** Spare him his life**_

_** From this monstrosity**_

_The blond found himself dancing, moving across the stage on his toes in the manner of a ballerina until he stopped abruptly, the action sending him falling to the feet of the second row of robed singers._

_ Easy come, easy go_

_ Will you let me go? He inquired softly, turning up to the still apathetic faces of the ivory robed figures._

_**BISMILLAH! **__several lower voices bellowed. Arms reached out, and seizing the theater king's right arm, pulled him to his feet with such force, pain screamed along the limb. Ryan bit back on an outcry._

_**No! We will not let you go!**_

_LET HIM GO! A mixture of voices, all sounding familiar to the blond boy, demanded. _

_**BISMILLAH! **__The choir retorted._

_** We will not let you go!**_

_LET HIM GO! The combined voices insisted once more. _

_**BISMILLAH!**_

_** We will not let you go!**_

_Let me go! Ryan exclaimed._

_**Will not let you go**__, another pair of hands took hold of his other arm._

_Let me go! He struggled fiercely against the iron tight clamps on his appendages._

_**Will not let you go**_

_Never, never, never let me go, Ryan shook his head, realizing the futility of his attempt to escape._

_**NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO **_

_Their voices filled his ears until they rang, making the younger Evans twin sick. _

_ Oh mama mia, _

_ Mama mia, he lamented, tears filling his eyes_

_**Mama mia,**_

_** Let me go, **__the choir mocked him_

_ Then, they all moved in to face him, closing in on him in a tight circular formation. Their hands covered his body, the visible circle of light above their heads growing smaller. The air around Ryan tightened. He could hardly breathe. He knew that this was it, and yet, he still had to sing. Their voices joined his. _

_ Beelzebub, has a devil put aside for me, he gasped. _

_ For me, he couldn't…. The musical score dropped out._

_ For me!_

_ Blackness slammed down on him. _

Ryan's eyes flicked open. The sight of his bedroom ceiling that greeted him, was surprisingly welcomed. He lay there for a moment, until he was assured that his arm was unharmed, and that he could breathe. At last, throwing aside his covers, he stumbled out of bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping calico form of his pet, Hollybell, whom was snoozing contentedly on a t-shirt that had been left on the floor.

The blond peered through the blinds, squinting at the blinding sunlight. He blinked to give his sleep-blurred vision a moment to adjust to the sudden contrast. While doing so, he absent-mindedly stroked the tiny cat's head, and heard the creature acknowledge his touch with a quiet "mrrr."

He smiled softly at his pet, then turned his gaze back to the clock on the nightstand. 8:27 am, he could just make out through bleary eyes. Maneuvering around the bed, he reached for his cellphone which also sat on the nightstand. He wondered if Troy had roused to greet the day, as well.

- Don't Let Me Drown -

Ryan stood before the full-sized mirror in his bedroom, making last minute adjustments and reparations to his appearance. Gone were the days that he had to apply cover-up to secrete the dark circles of recurring insomnia, and the abrasions, that had marred his pale face. Before his reflection's torpid stare, he brought his hands to his hair and began rubbing gel into his soft blond locks, his fingers ruffling along his scalp. His own touch did not incite shivers of pleasure, as Troy's did.

_ - _Plunging In -

"Hey, fag!"

Ryan refused to give his would-be tormentor the satisfaction of acknowledgement. He continued on in his sashaying stride, his pace unaffected even as his pulse skyrocketed.

"Yo, faggot! I'm talking to you!"

Scowling, and giving a roll of his eyes, the blond remained adamant on getting to his destination, and ignoring the brute and possible crowd of lemmings that had made it their goal to make his day hell. The fact that he was the addressee was obvious, even if there had been anyone else in the hallway.

"I said, "I was talking to you"!" With one swipe of a cumbersome arm, the great, hulking adolescent flung the petite actor into a row of lockers.

"What do you want?" Ryan straightened his spine, his posture set on masking his fear and preserving his dignity. _Damn empty hallways, _he observed balefully. He cast a quick look around him at the bulging biceps and thick bodies of the boys -or men, perhaps?, as they looked a little old to be referred to as "boys"- around him. He was outnumbered four to one.

"Looks like the cumbucket can use his mouth for something other than sucking Bolton off," a broad necked member of the group, whom sported a crew cut, taunted.

"Are you jealous?" Ryan retorted. There was another movement from that huge arm, and then he was pinned between the locker and the biggest of the jackals.

"What the fuck did you say?" The proportionally gigantic boy? man? bellowed, bringing out his "enforcement", and breathing his foul smelling breath into the theater king's face.

"I think you've dug yourself an early grave, fairy boy," another member of the pack, this one having a ghastly complexion, put in. With the four hulking masses surrounding him, there was no feasible way that Ryan could escape.

"Well, in that case, it looks like you guys will have to dig me one, too."

Ryan's heart leapt, and sank into the bowels of his stomach simultaneously, at the bold declaration from the voice that he knew so well. _Troy! _

"Bolton?" The attacker diverted his attention, the lemmings following their leader's actions.

Past the bull-shouldered group, Ryan could just discern a familiar mop of shaggy brunette hair. He realized that this was his chance. Slowly, he pressed himself to the locker and began edging his way out of the enclosure.

"Another fairy to rip the wings off of!" One of the huge boys rejoiced.

"Not if we've got anything to say about it." As if on cue, Chad, Jason and Zeke emerged, the latter two flanking their captain, while Chad stepped up beside Troy.

Ryan watched as the four brutish boys exchanged glances, realizing that the odds were no longer in their favor. His heart was in his throat as he finally squeezed past, and lowered himself to the ground, preparing to dash away to spare Troy and his friends.

Troy's blue eyes caught sight of him. Ryan let out an internal sigh of relief, however, as the brunette athlete let his expression give nothing away. "Alright," Troy spoke up. "You're going to let Ryan go. _Now_."

"Or what?" One of the brutes sneered.

"Or you'll have to deal with all of us." Chad's brown eyes narrowed, and he cracked his knuckles.

There was a moment of silence. Tension leadened the air. Ryan held his breath, ready to take off sprinting if it would buy Troy, Chad, Zeke and Jason time to get away. Finally, the leader of the pack growled out, "Come on. It ain't worth it," and he lead his group off. One of the hulk-like bullies tossed a glare at Chad, and the bushy-haired boy bristled, looking like he was ready to spit in the big bruiser's eye.

Once the coast was clear, Troy ran to Ryan's side. "Did they hurt you?" He prompted, helping right the blond boy.

"I'm fine," Ryan assured the athlete with a gentle murmur. "Thank you." He gave Troy a lingering look, his heart melting at the pride glowing in the golden boy's blue eyes, then turned out, letting his gaze encompass the other three athletes, who were shooting each other congratulatory grins. "All of you."

"You know that it's no problem, Ry," Troy said, taking his boyfriend into his arms.

"Yeah, don't sweat it," Chad added with a friendly smile.

"I've gotta look out for my girl's bro," Zeke inputted sheepishly.

"That's what friends are for, you know?" Jason smiled one of his signature absent-minded smiles.

Ryan's heart swelled. He could hardly believe it. _Friends? _

"Believe it, or not, Ry," Troy moved in, butting the smaller boy's head gently with his own, "they're your friends, too."

These words had stayed with the younger Evans twin, their truth or fallacy evading his comprehension. Chad, Zeke, and Jason were Troy's closest friends, and their near effortless camaraderie made them the core of the basketball team. Troy was undoubtedly their captain, and they generally gave him their full support and acceptance with all of his actions and decisions.

_Now that Troy and I are together, does that mean that his friends are my friends, as well? _His gaze slid to his sleeping cat, and he recalled the days when the tiny animal had been his only ally in the world. A half-smile crept across his face. "Thank you for looking after me, so well. I guess I was right when I said that you were "overprotective", huh, Holl?"

The cat flicked an ear in response. Ryan interpreted the action as the feline's way of saying, "You're welcome."

Returning his attention to the mirror, the adolescent pondered how it was that someone as insignificant in the grand scheme of things as himself, had come to affect the lives of so many people. How someone like him had forged a bond, a union, with the boy who was the center of their high school's universe. "Me, skinny, ugly, flaming queer, Ryan Michael Evans…the love of perfection incarnate: Troy Alexander Bolton's life."

"I think it's a perfect match."

His reflection had company in the form of a taller, defined brunette with sun-kissed skin, shaggy, side-swept hair, and striking blue eyes.

"Do you, now?" Ryan smiled, arcing a brow in curiosity at the reflection that had joined his own.

Troy shrugged. "Yeah," he admitted with a half-smile. "Well, aside from you calling yourself, "ugly", and me being, "perfection incarnate".

Ryan ducked his head shyly under the weight of the intense stare that peered into him. Troy could see into him, through him, in a way that no one else could. And he wanted it no other way. "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,", he began reciting in a low, level voice, "creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time."

He raised his head to face his reflection, a passionate fervor stealing into his alto-tenor voice, his blue eyes a light. "And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!" He waved his wrist in a dismissive gesture. "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more." The fervor diminished until it was replaced by something akin to melancholy. He gave a sullen shake of his head. "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury… signifying _nothing_."

Troy's hands came gently down on his shoulders, turning him away from the mirror. His brows were angled sharply, his forehead creased. "Ry, everyone has the power to make their lives mean something. Everyone means something to someone. You do, too."

One look into those eyes, and Ryan knew. The words of anguish and despair uttered by Shakespeare's Macbeth upon hearing of his wife's suicide, a pain that he would never again think of putting Troy through, could not be applied. "Yes, I know."

The two of them kissed at each other's lips. The union was meaningful, every brush of lips lingering. It was one of those unparalleled moments, nowhere was a fault to be found.

Ryan hummed with quiet bliss as Troy eagerly preoccupied his mouth and tongue. They clung tightly to each other, hands roaming down each other's backsides. The theater boy slid his first two fingers into the back pockets of the basketball team captain's blue jeans.

Troy let out a soft groan in response, and deepened the contact, pressing his hips against the other boy's. Ryan arched into the touch, goosebumps creeping along his flesh at the tantalizing sensation.

"Ryan, Troy, Zeke and I are taking Boi for a walk!" Sharpay's voice filtered through the door, causing both of the boys to jump at the unprecedented interruption.

"Alri-ight," they chorused, irritation seeping into the two syllables.

"Behave yourselves, and stay out of my room," she added, no doubt smirking knowingly to herself on the other side of the door.

Both boys blushed, Ryan stammering, "Y-Yes, Shar."

"Come on, Boi-boi!" She cooed to the tiny Yorkie.

The two boys waited in silence, listening intently until the clicks of the girl's heels dwindled off. Once they were confident that they were the only occupants of the second floor of the mansion, Troy implored with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows and a smirk to match, "Where were we?"

"I believe we were… _here_," Ryan guided Troy's hand to his belt buckle, smiling guilelessly.

At the soft groan that the blond emitted when he was touched, Troy acknowledged with a huskiness to his voice, "Yeah… _that's _where we were." He slid the strip of leather out of the buckle, hands trembling in anticipation and slight trepidation. He turned his ocean colored eyes, half-veiled by long, thick lashes, to the blond, requesting permission.

Understanding, Ryan assured him in a barely-there, lilting voice, "It's okay. You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I want to, Ryan." At the nod he received, Troy locked eyes with his boyfriend and proceeded, pulling down the petite boy's clingy khaki dress pants and dark blue boxers.

Ryan's muscles stiffened in preparation for the impending contact, his pelvis arching slightly toward Troy's talented appendages. It wasn't until Troy's lips brushed against the head of his member that the eye contact was broken. Closing his eyes, Ryan cried out, his manhood pulsing under Troy's touch with desire every bit as immense as the love that pulsed like blood through his veins.

When Troy's mouth closed over the head, that extraordinary, warm, moist, _marvelous_ mouth that he had explored every crevice of with his own mouth, he knew that love was reciprocated.

- Don't Let Me Drown -

There were still jeers. They still faced taunts and insults being hurled at them every time they were seen together in the halls of East High, but overall, ever since the near showdown in front of the lockers between the group of brutes and Troy and his friends, people had grown to tolerate them.

Although Ryan and Troy, and several others on their side, wished for more, and in a perfect world, they would have had it, they knew toleration was the most, and maybe even more, than they should expect.

Acceptance would be asking for too much.

They remained on civil terms with Gabriella, refusing to forgive her entirely, but unwilling to put her, or themselves, through anymore unnecessary grief.

"It's an unspoken truce," Ryan had dubbed it.

"Yeah," Troy had agreed. "We've come to a ceasefire, and I prefer it stayed that way."

"I couldn't agree more."

If Gabriella spoke to them, they spoke to her. Other than that, interactions with her were limited to only those of necessity. They did their best, however, to ensure that Allison Finch, an innocent who did not deserve any aftershocks of the hostility her partner had sparked, was not exposed to any. Everything that Gabriella had pretended to be while with Troy, she honestly was with the younger girl.

And that made putting those events behind them that much easier.

- Renewal -

Kelsi and Martha became Ryan's self-proclaimed "BGP"s.

""Best Gal Pals"," Martha clarified when the performer's confusion made itself visible.

"We can share secrets, and be there for you. We can even talk about clothes, and you can help us with our hair!" Kelsi listed excitedly.

"Yeah, it will be awesome!" Martha chipped in cheerfully. "We can even invite Taylor to hang with. I heard through the grapevine that she and Gabriella aren't besties anymore."

Frowning at the odd terminology, _Besties?_, Ryan remarked, "I see." He had already heard of the absolving of Taylor and Gabriella's friendship from both Chad, and the scholarly girl, herself. Taylor was someone who strived for the end of all forms of prejudice. After Gabriella's egregious insult to the credibility of the school newspaper, which Taylor headed as the chief editor, and the personal betrayal that came with such an act, the theater king couldn't blame the ebony-haired girl for making the decision to disassociate herself from her dark-haired best-friend.

It was Taylor herself who had warned him and Troy of the degrading and humiliating bullshit story.

"It's been hard on her, finding out what kind of person her best friend really is," Kelsi murmured.

Ryan's heart gave a sympathetic twinge. He bit down on his lower lip in acquiesce. "Yeah, it's fine. Taylor can hang out with us."

Kelsi and Martha exchanged a glance. Ryan held his breath, exhaling when the girls' eyes lit up with understanding. They threw their arms around him, enveloping him in an ecstatic hug.

- DLMD -

10-3

Dear Diary: I know that I vowed that the previous entry would be my last, but lately, my outlook on life has changed.

I realize, now, that I am not evil, and that I am capable, as everyone is, of contributing a lot of positive and wonderful things to society, by staying alive and trying.

The bond between my sister and I, has been fortified. We can tell each other almost everything, once more. We sing along to songs on our Itunes together, and we shop. And yes, she _looks _at me.

When my parents are around, they do their best to be part of my life. They ask about my day, and give my relationship with Troy their utmost support. I attend yoga classes every now and then with my mother, and my father plans to take Troy and I out on a camping trip with him sometime in the future.

I have more allies than I ever could have hoped for. And it's _wonderful_.

True, sometimes, I find myself getting upset. There are moments when, seemingly out of nowhere, I'm overcome by grief and tears begin streaming uncontrollably from my eyes. In those moments, when I desperately need foundation, stability, a shoulder to cry on, someone murmuring soothing words into my ear, and comforting hands rubbing down my backside until my tears ave ceased, he's always there.

Troy Alexander Bolton: the boy that I owe everything to.

Everything, and yet, nothing, at the same time. Because, as he says, while nuzzling into my neck, "You're my reason to live, as well. You're my life, Ryan."

And with these words, my chest swells with joy that extends beyond description. My heart is lighter than air.

I am _alive_.

- Breathing -

Ryan nestled into Troy's chest. The two of them had been sitting against the tree, their tree, in the Bolton's backyard for a little over an hour, alternating between chatting about school work and life, and sitting in contented silence. As sleep began weighing down his eyelids, the blond recalled something of importance and sat up. "Troy."

"Hmm?" The brunette opened his eyes and pulled away from his arms, which were folded behind his head.

Ryan tugged his messenger bag to him and removed a spiral notebook. "I-I wrote something for you."

"Oh yeah?" Troy shifted closer, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Ryan gave a nod, heat creeping across his face and coloring it a light pink. "Can I read it to you?"

"Of course," Troy smiled encouragingly.

"Alright." Ryan lowered his eyes and began reading aloud, his voice calm, collected:

"_A river, clear, cool water, reflecting empty eyes. _

_ Unneeded, worthless, evil. _

_ Wishing for the river to wash him away from those he's convinced he has harmed, _

_ He longs to sever all of his ties. _

_ Then, _he_ comes to the broken boy, _

_ Skin of sun-kissed gold, penetrating the dark as sunshine. _

_ "I'm a genie," the newcomer says, taking the boy's hand. _

_ The boy says, "I wish for you to be mine."_

_ With his new companion, the boy realized that_

_ It's funny, sometimes, how long it can take for the truth to sink in_

_ But one look at that beautiful face,_

_ And the boy knew that he had to change the way that he was thinking,_" Ryan paused briefly to breathe. He could feel his hands shaking as he held the notebook.

"_So he vowed to himself that he would whisk his friend away_

_ To a far off place_

_ He couldn't protect him from lies, and pain, _

_ But he would do his best to try_

_ He would hold his companion tight, be there for him all the while,_

_ Sharing his tears_

_ And sharing his smiles,_

_ Because that beautiful boy with sun-kissed skin of gold would always,_

_ And forever, be his life._" Ryan's voice broke, and he turned away, feeling tears prick his eyes.

"Ryan. Hey," Troy said softly.

And then Ryan was being held safely in those arms, pressed to that warm chest. "Do you like it?" He prompted softly.

"I love it." Troy pressed a kiss to the blond's temple. "I love _you_."

Ryan buried his face in Troy's chest, letting his tears streak down his face. He knew that their existence was not due to sadness.

- Mine Forever -

Kisses were littered along Ryan's creamy throat. He arched into the heated contact, loving the stirring it evoked in his lower body. "Troooy…" he moaned softly.

Pants and boxers were removed in pursuit of a far deeper, more fulfilling connection.

Then, Troy was inside of him. Ryan let out more quiet moans as ecstasy darted along his body with every thrust.

Troy murmured words of love, his voice thick with desire. Ryan's slender hands worked their way down the brunette's front side, tantalizing every inch of flesh they encountered. He, in turn, worshipped the blond's body with his hands, his manhood, and everything that he had.

- Afloat -

"Troy…?"

"Yeah?"

"Have I ever told you that you're amazing?"

"You might have said it once or twice."

As he turned to face Troy, and took in the boy's smile, Ryan's lips curled up into a smile, as well. He raised his hand, dragging his knuckles gently over the virile boy's cheek, relishing the warmth of the smooth flesh there. If there was a part of him that was still convinced that this was a dream, it was singing a different tune, now. "I love you," he relayed, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"I know." Shifting closer, Troy took Ryan into an embrace, Ryan nuzzling into Troy's firm, sculpted chest. They inhaled at the same time, their eyes closing briefly.

Ryan's eyelids slowly lifted, curled unveiling his sky blue eyes. He never wanted this, _any _of this, to come to an end. "We'll never stop, right?" He asked, looking up into the face of the boy that he loved, that never thought would ever be anything more than a far away fantasy to him.

And, now…

A thought remained unspoken between them, _Forever is forever._

"No, Ry," Troy promised, taking the blond's smooth face into his big warm hands. "We'll never stop."

Ryan Evans kissed Troy Bolton, the lovely action conveying all that he needed to say, that we would ever need to say.

Drowning was no longer a concern. He had found a life-preserver in the least likely source. And, together, they had found a life-preserver to keep the both of them afloat.

_Fin._

**A/N: Thank you all for sticking with me, and seeing Ryan's story through to the end. If you are feeling empty after finishing this chapter, remember that I have plenty of other Tryan fanfictions on this website.**

**Soon, I will be posting the epilogue to my sort of "High School Musical 4", "Introspective", a story told entirely from Troy's point of view. **

**Then there will be a oneshot, or two. I'll be starting on the sequel to "Introspective", and I have a few other story ideas lined up. **

**So, my dear readers, it is with sadness in my heart that I bid you farewell, for now. Please, stay safe, and take care of yourselves. I hope to hear from you again, soon. **

_**Abiento! **_


End file.
